“We cannot compare ourselves to Al Ahly and others if…” – Hearts of Oak NCC Chairman, Elvis Herman Hesse Jnr

Elvis Herman Hesse Jnr, Chairman of the National Chapters Committee of Accra Hearts of Oak says the club cannot be compared to Al Ahly and others in Africa if they are not able to win the league and make a mark in Africa.

Accra Hearts of Oak is struggling to shine on the continent. They are yet to reach the group stages of the CAF inter-club competitions since 2006.

They will host AS Real Bamako of Mali in the CAF Confederations Cup second preliminary round return leg after suffering a 3-0 defeat in the first leg.

The the team has suffered from a tactical failure, blended with complacency but they will have to secure a 4-0 win on Sunday to reach the next stage of the competition.

There is a belief that the Rainbows are struggling because of the current leadership but the NCC Chairman has boldly stated that they will make sure Hearts will be run well and be under good leadership.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s make-or-break encounter he stated, “We need the qualification and we won’t stop discussing matters concerning the club now until our Sunday’s game. We will make sure Accra Hearts of Oak is run better. We will make sure. If the team was not good in 1990, it must be good in 2022. In 2022 if it is not good it must be better in 2024 so some of us will be consistent that the club must be run better.

“If today we are having the most beautiful Secretariat and Commercial Center in Ghana and still we are not winning the league to compete in Africa then we cannot compare ourselves to Al Ahly and others because when they acquired one of the most beautiful Secretariats and the best facilities we were not up to their level. We are just saying by mouth that we were at the same level as them. Kotoko and Hearts of Oak no matter what we do today are also going. We the supporters are like Oliver Twist. We demand and want more. We want to compete at the highest level. We don’t just want to say Hearts of Oak is big. If you are big we wouldn’t have suffered to beat Real Bamako. Going forward we would have to come and address the issues,” he said on Original FM.