Hearts of Oak head coach Aboubakar Ouattara has taken aim at the media following his side’s narrow 1-0 victory over Medeama in the Ghana Premier League on Sunday.
Despite ending a four-game winless streak, the win has not been without its fair share of controversy.
The Phobians secured a crucial three points in their first match back at the Accra Sports Stadium in over six months, with midfielder Raphael Amponsah scoring a powerful long-range strike in the first half to seal the win.
The victory, however, was marred by criticism over the team's performance, which was widely seen as lacking creativity and intensity.
Despite getting the result, fans and journalists alike questioned the team’s overall display, which continued a worrying trend of underwhelming performances following their midweek defeat to Nations FC, where a single goal from Razak Simpson left them empty-handed.
In the post-match press conference, Ouattara made it clear he wasn’t concerned with the criticisms surrounding the team’s style of play. When asked about his side's performance, he hit back at the media.
“Sometimes, I ask myself, what do you [journalists] want?” Ouattara said. “When we win, you say the performance isn’t good. When we play well and lose, you still criticise. Tell me the truth — what exactly do you want?”
He went on to defend his priorities, saying, “For me, I want the three points. If I get them, all this talk doesn’t matter to me. The table doesn’t record performances — it records points.”
Ouattara’s comments are not the first time he has had tense exchanges with journalists. Back in December, after a tough loss to Asante Kotoko, he accused reporters of asking “unreasonable lottery questions” and showing little understanding of the game. The coach also made headlines when he was charged by the Ghana Football Association for allegedly skipping a post-match press conference following a clash with Dreams FC.
Sunday’s appearance marked his first official post-match media engagement since the Dreams FC incident, having missed the midweek press conference due to medical reasons.
Despite the win, Ouattara’s reaction suggests that he remains unbothered by the ongoing criticism of his team’s performance. Hearts of Oak, who sit mid-table in the league, will now focus on their next fixture against Vision FC, where they hope to continue their resurgence and, most importantly, continue collecting vital points.
With the pressure mounting on the team to improve, Ouattara’s bold stance on the value of results over performances could define the remainder of their season.
