Match Report: Accra Hearts of Oak SC Pip Wydad Athletic 1-0 Amidst Questionable Officiating

 

Reigning Ghana premier league champions Accra Hearts of Oak Sc dusted themselves from questionable officiating to edge out North African side Wydad Athletic in the first leg of the CAF Champions League play offs.

The two times CAF Champions league kept their composure in a game marred by poor decisions from the centre referee to record a priceless 1-0 win ahead of the return leg in Tunisia.

 

Isaac Mensah’s striker’s finish earned Samuel Boadu’s men first blood in the winner takes showdown.

Samuel Boadu placed hope in his traditional back four of Ovouka, Fatawu, Alhassan and Robert Addo with Isaac Mensah leading an attack that has Afriyie Barnei and Kofi Kordzi from the flanks.

Salifu Ibrahim and Ansah Botchway maintained their place at the heart of the midfield in a typical 4-3-3 formation.

A jittery start to the game by the home team saw the North Africans growing slowly in confidence before the love Salifu Ibrahim stamped his authority into the game..

Series of game changing saves from the opposition goal keeper denied Accra Hearts of Oak SC a deserved opener before Isaac Mensah handed a 1-0 lead to the flying phobians with 5 minutes to recess.

Kofi Kordzi came close to making it 2-0 only for forest of legs to deny the bulky forward a well deserved goal.

The two teams went into recess pegged at 1-0 and will eventually end the first leg in same score line.

Accra Hearts of Oak SC unleashed Victor and Emmanuel Nettey into the second half to atone for the injured Raddy Ovouka earlier on.

The arrival of Williams Denkyi stabilized the back line with some composure but that elusive insurance goal never materialized for the remainder of the second stanza.

Accra Hearts of Oak SC trainer, Samuel Boadu, was cautioned to cap the sequence of inconsistent officiating from the center referee and his team of officials.

The return leg is slated for Tunisia in a fortnight with the winner heading into the CAF Champions league group stages.