The above question must generate some debate in football circles, especially where Accra Hearts of Oak chapters meet in their weekly and monthly gatherings to discuss matters concerning the club.
Soccer critics might certainly pick on this and delve deep with a lot of heated argument over the fortunes of the century-old club, who earlier this season found themselves in the relegation zone of the current First Capital Plus Premier League. They are not yet fully out of the threat though but how the old club gathered the sudden prowess to do justice in their away continental matches in the current Confederation of African Football (CAF) Confederation Cup assignments must surely surprise all followers of football and even their most critical fault-finders.
Looking at what is happening to others in similar assignments, especially in this country and elsewhere, what the sages might say is that the Phobians must tread cautiously. They are nowhere near their target. In an argument on a local radio station, a panel member said the success story of Hearts so far seemed to centre on what was happening around our own West Coast of Africa. After all recent victims of Hearts namely A.S.Police of Benin, Olympique d’ Ngor of Senegal and FC Djoliba are all nearby countries whose of game Hearts, are very familiar with, and can therfore, easily break through their ranks.
In other words, the giants in other places have not yet reared their ugly heads to scare Hearts back into their shells, and that must be an important point on their way to the African championship.
The question is whether Hearts have regained their winning formula associated
with the former 64 Batallion that emerged at the beginning of the 21st century to shake the continent.
Do they have the power to withstand the powerful clubs that might come from the northern part of Africa such as Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt? Yes, in every aspect of soccer, the process of forward march tends to follow the pattern of gradual difficult steps and that is where Hearts must start concentrating on.
People tend to believe that there is no cause for alarm as the big club have now gained the confidence to upstage their opponents in the scary away matches. With Djoliba coming to Accra with a deficit of 2 - 1 in the kitty, the Malians are rather under the pressure to score more away goals and that may force them to do all the attacking.
Indeed, if Djoliba have the same character that they exhibited some decades ago, then I can vouch that they still have the opportunity to worry Hearts. But Hearts today are a different character in their current assignments.
If we closely analysed what happened in Senegal recently, then we could say that the Phobians had that stamina to do the 90-minute battle throughout, and their strength lay clearly on the last minutes of regulation time.
Well, kudos to Coach Herbert Addo, whose motivation and tactics are showing results in their good defence and attacking midfielders. Of course, with current strikers such as Gilbert Fiamenyo, Paul Acquah, Richard Yamoah, Eric Kumi and others around, backed by Owusu Bempah, Isaac Oduro, Shaun October, Kweku Andoh, Robin Gnagne, Philip Boampong and goalkeeper Salouma Abdoulaye working like a loom, Hearts supporters can keep their composure, rest assured and sing their "never say die" chorus.
The signs are clearly on the wall that Hearts are capable of entering the money zone to do battle with the giants of Africa. If anything, Kotoko's recent experience with their Algerian nemesis must suggest to them the type of opposition to expect in their quest for a continental glory.
In African football, the higher you go the hotter you become, and that calls for stepping up of their rigorous training which is the specialty of Coach Herbert Addo. There is no room for complacency if they mean to reach the light at the end of the tunnel.
The cup drought we are suffering in this country calls for drastic measures and a concerted effort to rally fully behind the men on the battle-field. Please that "pull him down" agenda must be thrown overboard as it will not help the nation in any way.
Experience has shown that with little support from all angles, victory must be a foregone conclusion.
Yes, one cannot begrudge Kotoko followers who held their players hostage for failing to deliver at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi against their Algerian challengers recently right at a time their arch-rivals were jubilating all over on beating Olympique d’ Ngor.
That must be a big lesson to Hearts, whose last CAF Confederation Cup victory came in 2004, and 2015 should see them repeating the dose. Well, if only we all could treat it as a national affair! Good luck Hearts!
