Hearts defends failure to sign top players for coach Akunnor

Posted On Monday, 29th October 2012

Under pressure Hearts of Oak coach CK Akunnor

Hearts of Oak have defended their off-season signings despite the failure to recruit several players recommended by coach CK Akunnor.

The Phobians have suffered three successive Premier League defeats this term.

Hearts are currently hovering above the relegation zone with a paltry four points after five rounds of matches in the top flight.

An anonymous source had hinted to MTNFootball.com of the club’s failure to secure some top Premier League players in the off-season.

Some of the players penciled for recruitment by Akunnor included; Yahaya Mohammed (now with Amidaus), Rashid Sumaila (now with Kotoko), AshGold’s striker Yakubu Mohammed, Aduana Stars’ Godfred Saka, Kwabena Edusei (now with Kotoko), Hans Koufie of Medeama and Latif Salifu (now with Chelsea).

Coach Akunnor had refused to comment on the quality of buys made amidst mounting pressure from the fans in Hearts’ early season slump.

But the club says it did all it could to recruit all the players the ex Ghana international presented in his transfer wish list.

“CK (Akunnor) had a tall list of players he wanted, but presenting a list doesn’t necessarily mean you will get them,” the club’s Administrative Manager Ashford Tetteh-Oku told MTNFootball.com.

“Money was not an issue with this recruitment. Either the players didn’t want to come to Hearts or the clubs were unwilling to sell.

“Everyone knows for instance we had extensive discussions to sign Rashid Sumaila.

“The same with Latif Salifu where the club (Liberty Professionals) were prepared to sell but they later got a better deal elsewhere.

“You cannot force a player or a club to release its players to you especially when they are unwilling to sell.

“Kotoko for instance again wrote to have Mahatma Otoo, but we were not prepared to sell and that ended it.

“So it’s not the case that we did not make the effort to sign these players but rather a number of factors beyound our control.”

Hearts boast of being the richest club in Ghana haven sold some of its shares earlier this year to raise revenue.

Source: MTNFootball.com

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READERS COMMENTS

Nii says:

October 29, 2012 at 12:01 pm

This is sheer display of arrogance. We must admit that apart from Fiamenyo, virtually all the players acquired were average or obscure players. Hearts should not think big club name can bring them back to the limelight. We must now learn from Chelsea, Medeama, Aduana and Kotoko. Arrogance would take no where.

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KT says:

October 29, 2012 at 4:01 pm

Please this is not the time for this. When Sir Cecil took over Hearts Ishmael Addo was nobody, Emmanuel Kuffour was a defender, Charles Taylor was obscured. But look what he churned out of them. Big money signings are not the answer. With the right technical direction and determination, commitment mediocre players like Ishmael Addo, and obscure players(like Charles Taylor was) will become legends. Make use of them like that.

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- Boba Fett says:
  
  October 29, 2012 at 9:47 pm
  
  I disagree with u to some extent. Emmanuel Osei Kuffuor was an established black stars defender before he joined Hearts. Charles Taylor was the danger man for Olympics before he joined Hearts.
  
  Reply to this Comment
GH FUO, THINK BIG!!! says:

October 30, 2012 at 5:16 am

BIG MONEY SININGS ARE NOT THE ANSWER. YOUR NEED TO HAVE SCOUTS WHO HAVE ANY EYE FOR TALENT. IDENTIFY THE SPOTS U NEED PLAYERS FOR. GET YOUR SCOUTS TO COM ALL OVER GH AND EVEN WEST AFRICA FOR THE PLAYERS TO CAN AFFORD TO BUY AND BRING IN TO ASSUME THOSE POSITIONS. HEARST DIDNT EVEN HAVE A GOOD PRESEASON. WHAT CLUBS DID THEY PLAY OUTSIDE GH? IN THIS DAY AND AGE, IT REALLY HURST ME TO SEE CLUBS LIKE HEARTS AND KOTOKO STILL RUNNING THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS OF THEIR CLUBS, LIKE THEY WERE PLAYING LUDU, OWARE OR MONOPOLY. THEY ARE JOKERS. NONE OF THESE CLUBS HAVE A CLUB STADIUM. STIULL MAKING USE OF GOVT BUILT STADIUMS. LOOK AT HOW LONG I HAVE BEEN IN EXISTENCE. IF EVERY CLUB WERE TO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HEARTS AND KOTOKO, NONE WOULD HAVE CLUB/HOME STADIUMS. EVERY DAMN CLUB IN GH WOULD BE PLAYING IN TAMALE, ESSIPONG, BABA YARA OR OHENEDJAN. U SEE THE CALAMITY OF THESE 2 CLUBS? HOW MANY FOREIGN OR NON GH PLAYERS PLY THEIR TRADE IN HEARTS OR KOTOKO? ALL THEY CARE ABOUT IS SELL PLAYERS LIKE TURKEY TAIL. FOOLS, U SELL YOUR PLAYERS TO CLUBS LIKE MAZEMBE, AHLY, SUNDOWNS, ESPERANCE ETC…AND YU EXPECT TO BEAT THESE SAME CLUBS YOU SOLD YOUR PLAYERS TO DURING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE? TWEAA! DWEN HW3 KAN!

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