The Ghana Premier League starts for the 2022/23 season on Friday, 9th September, 2022 in another football calendar that will see club fight for the coveted trophy.
Accra Hearts of Oak, who have won the league title twenty times are one of the clubs amongst the 18 Premier League club that will be hot favourite to win it.
Finishing sixth on the league table last season after winning it two seasons ago was somewhat considered below par for a club that had left it twelve years prior to winning it in the 2020/21 season.
Fortunately for the "Rainbow" side, they ended last season with a trophy after defeating Bechem United in the MTN FA Cup finals in Kumasi to win it back-to-back and a record twelve times.
A lot of changes have happened in the team during the hiatus and enough preparation to the season done to welcome Aduana Stars in the season opener at the Nana Agyemang Badu I Park at Dormaa Ahenkro.
From preseason activities to new recruits and strength of the technical team critical to the success of a club in the season ahead.
We look at these departments for Hearts of Oak and how they could fare in the upcoming season.
PRESEASON
Hearts of Oak's main team could not have a rigorous training activities in terms of quality preseason games and having a decent path to executing their targeted games to fully prepare them into the season.
The team ventured in the GHALCA G6 Tournament that was abysmally performed by the team mainly because the youth team was used in the competition with reasons best known to the technical team.
That has really not shaped the club into completing a competitive friendly game to put the team rightfully well ahead of the season.
In as much as the team played some friendly games to test their mettle, it has not helped enough to charge the playing body for the task ahead in the Ghana Premier League and the CAF Confederations Cup.
PLAYERS
Accra Hearts of Oak were very active in the transfer window grabbing about ten new players to augment the squad and replace those that have exited after the 2021/22 season.
Right after their triumphant 2020/21 season where the team won the GPL diadem after 12 years, the team became ill to quality squad depth and hugely affected their performance last season.
Having recognized that, the technical team in collaboration with the Management/Board of the team embarked on an intensive transfer spree from within and without to ensure the club is placed well for the upcoming season.
Hearts of Oak sent off Sumaila Larry, James Sewornu, Abdul Manaf Grumah, Kofi Kordzi, Frederick Ansah Botchway, Patrick Razak, William Denkyi, Agyenim Boateng, Enoch Addo and some other players who were considered to be surplus to requirements by the technical team.
That meant a replacement of them to strengthen the squad at all departments. Konadu Yiadom, Junior Kaaba, Yassan Ouaching, Eric Esso, Eric Ofori Antwi, Zakari Yakubu, Faisal Adam Billey, Bumekpor, among others have been bought to give the "Phobians" a collective team ready for battle in the Ghana Premier League and in Africa.
TECHNICAL TEAM
Hearts of Oak have Samuel Boadu, who broke the twelve-year jinx, as the Head of the Technical Team supported by ever reliable Mohammed Hamza Obeng to steer the affairs of the club's technical department.
After last season, W.O. Tandoh left his position in the technical team as the club's physical trainer for a return to Aduana Stars to be replaced by Enoch "Jordan" Daitey.
The brains behind the club's technical team is an enviable one to lead the club to glory having attained vast experience in the local scene.
PREDICTING CLUB'S FATE
Hearts of Oak have benefitted so much from the various National Teams of Ghana as they have players flooded in there to propel the club to greater heights in the upcoming by exposing their players to international games.
The likes of Daniel Afriyie Barnie who has had call ups in the Black Galaxies, Black Meteors and the Black Stars leaves him with so much promise to help the club to have a good season.
Gladson Awako, Mohammed Alhassan, Konadu Yiadom and Suraj Seidu have benefitted immensely during the club's preseason with the CHAN Qualifiers and friendly game against Qatar in Austria.
These crop of players, mingled with the already existing players from last season like Richard Attah, Ibrahim Salifu, Isaac Mintah, etc should give the team a smooth start to the season which eluded them last season causing them lose the league trophy to their bitterest rivals.
Hearts of Oak would be seriously contending for the league trophy once more, this time around will put in stiffer competition better than last season should they have a great result in their first five matches in the league.
