Hearts of Oak midfielder Malik Akowuah’s relationship with the Accra based football power house has elapsed as has officially been announced by both parties, but confusion has not been spared concerning the situation as both parties sound contradictory in announcing the news.
According to Hearts of Oak, Akowuah’s three-year deal has expired and the club, by wish, other than by the will of the player, took “the option not to renew the contract” of the midfielder, and has therefore expressed their gratitude to him for his services and wished him “the very best in his future endeavours”.
“Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club has taken the option not to renew the contract of midfielder Malik Akowuah following the expiration of his three-year deal at the club”, the club announced via its official twitter account. “We thank him for his professional service to the club and wish him the very best in his future endeavours”, the statement concluded.
Contrary to Hearts of Oak’s statement, Malik Akowuah has, in an interview with Fox FM, claimed that he personally requested to leave the club following the expiration of his contract with Hearts of Oak, after the club required from him whether he would like to renew his contract with the one-time treble winners and he declined.
“Well what I can say is that the word you used that (Hearts of Oak were not) interested, it is not like that”, Akowuah told Fox FM on Rush Hour Sports. “They called me after the (NC) tournament and sat me down and asked me that my contract is due so will I like to renew, then I told them no I won’t play again, so I personally decided not to play (for the club) again, it’s not that they (Hearts of Oak) are not interested. They called me to ask if I will like to renew and I told them I won’t play (for the club) again”, Akowuah insisted.
The contradiction becomes so obvious where the player claims he left the club by request while the club says they opted not to renew his contract. In his statements, Akowuah implied having issues with the club which he cannot say on-air, but claimed there’s nothing wrong between him and Accra Hearts of Oak.
“There are some things that are meant to be said in camera, I can’t say everything on FM (SIC), I think it’s meant for indoors talk, I can’t say it here but there is nothing, I personally decided not to, but I can’t say everything here because I have served the team well and the team has also served me well and I like the team too. Like I said it’s not everything I can say here but it’s nothing, Hearts hasn’t done anything wrong to me and no one has done anything but, it’s not everything I can say here”, Akowuah stated.
In addition to Akowuah’s departure, “goalkeeper Ernest Sowah and defender Yusif Alhassan have both been released from the club”, according to the club’s social media handle as the y wished them well going forward.
