Abdulai Gazale, head coach of Basake Holy Stars Football Club, attributed his team’s surprise 1-0 victory over Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club to the latter’s underestimation of his side.
Holy Stars made a remarkable debut in the Ghana Premier League, defeating Hearts of Oak at the Accra Sports Stadium, thanks to Prince Tweneboah’s second-minute goal.
Despite Hearts of Oak dominating possession (69% to 31%), they failed to equalize, squandering several scoring opportunities, particularly from set pieces.
Having finished 12th and 14th in the previous two seasons, Hearts of Oak faced immense pressure to perform this season, making their opening-match loss even more disappointing.
In a post-match interview, Gazale, a former assistant coach at Kumasi Asante Kotoko, revealed that Hearts of Oak’s complacency played a significant role in their defeat.
“They underrated us. I saw comments on their flyer, saying we should come and collect goals. If you disrespect your opponents, they will discipline you.”
Hearts play Kpando Heart of Lions next on September 15 at Kpando; Lions drew 1-1 with Aduana Stars in Dormaa Ahenkro.
