Contrary to the growing perception of numerous Accra Hearts of Oak fans that their darling club is on the rise in terms of performance, Asante Kotoko management member Jarvis Peprah thinks primarily opposite, saying, the Phobians have just been “lucky” in their dramatic league triumph over city rivals Liberty Professionals last Sunday.
The Phobians started the 2019/2020 premier league campaign on a quiet note, losing 0-1 at home to Berekum Chelsea in their league opener followed by a humiliating 3-0 defeat away to Medeama SC in Tarkwah, raising doubts over their ability to even finish withing the first four by the end of the season.
The table turned when they held stubborn WAFA to a goalless draw at Sogakope where they’d lost 5-0 in their last visit in the league. Interim coach Edward Odoom guided the Phobians to come from behind to beat city rivals Liberty Professionals by 2-1 last Sunday away from home, and this urgent rise in delivery seems to have not just raised the hopes of Hearts of Oak fans ahead of next Sunday’s Super Clash against their bitterest rivals Asante Kotoko, but also ignite signs of fear within the Porcupines.
Speaking in an interview with FOX FM sports desk, former management member for Asante Kotoko Jarvis Peprah brushed aside the so-called transformation of Hearts of Oak, describing their dramatic last gasp victory over Liberty as being born out of mere ‘luck’.
“Seriously I have personally seen the Hearts of Oak form because if Liberty takes the lead against you and you luckily get the leveler at the 11th hour, the typical thing we will say is ‘Kum Apem a Apem Beba’Hearts of Oak will say ‘Never Say Die until the bones are rotten’, so you fight till the end, but I don’t see that to be an extra ordinary performance to boast of”, Jarvis Peprah told Fox FM on Rush Hour Sports show.
For Mr. Peprah, Accra Hearts of Oak have not been consistent in their performance and that means there is nothing for Kotoko to be afraid of because the Phobians have done nothing extraordinary to stir up fear to Kotoko ahead of the match on Sunday.
“Kotoko should not be [afraid of Hearts of Oak], Hearts of Oak’s performance is not fearsome, their performance has not been a consistent thing, if they were to be beating teams by 3-0, 4-0 that’s where you would say Hearts is strong, but you drew at Sogakope, you always beat Liberty so if they take the lead against you and you equalize and go on to beat them 2-1 so you are happy. In everything Kotoko is doing we have won three matches, on the league table we are above Hearts so this should motivate our boys to know that Hearts has not done anything so serious to dampen our spirit or put fear in us”, he concluded.
