RTU Hold Hearts

Visiting Accra Hearts of Oak on Sunday managed a draw with Real Tamale United (RTU) at the Kaladan Park in Tamale after both teams played a high standard game to the admiration of their supporters. The game was some how an exhibition of physical strength, characterized by body and head injuries from both sides, which halted the proceedings severally during the second half as some of the players had to play with their heads bandaged.

Both teams created several, clear goal-scoring chances but squandered them all, an indication that Ghana really lacked strikers both at club and national team levels.

Credit must, however, go to the two goalkeepers, Laud Quartey of Hearts and Issah Najawu of RTU, who exhibited excellent goalkeeping to save their clubs from defeat.

One significant feature that made the match unique was the cordial relationship showed between players of RTU and Hearts after the game. One could see some Hearts players chatting with new RTU coach Papa Omar Thiam, while supporters of RTU mobbed some Hearts players and congratulated them for their splendid performance.

While Alhassan Weah a striker became a hero for RTU, Mohammed Hassan, and a defender of Hearts who thwarted RTU efforts in scoring became man of the match after proceedings.

Referee John Listowel Zilevu, from Akatsi in the Volta Region was firm and resolute and denied RTU what observers deemed a clear penalty in the dying minutes of the game.

A Hearts defender was under pressure used his hand to divert the course of Alhassan Weah's shot at goal to in the 18 yard box, but the referee rather whistled against RTU for an infringement on goalkeeper Quartey.

As much as RTU tried to find the net, even during seven minutes of added time, a goal remained elusive and the referee had no choice than to whistle to bring proceedings to and end with the match barren.