Kofi Owusu Aduonum
3 March 2008
Accra Hearts of Oak yesterday hit the end of the road in their Champions League campaign when the lost 3-4 on aggregate to their Gabonese counterparts, FC 105 at the Ohene Djan Stadium
Despite winning 3-1 before a sparse home crowd, the Phobians failed to go beyond the Group stage of the competition which they stamped their authority on eight years ago.
The enormity of the second leg notwithstanding, having lost 0-3 on foreign soil, the Ghanaians hoped against hope to make it to the next stage of the competition. Their confidence rooted in the fact that fair officiating and home support will see them through in the CAF championship, saw Hearts approaching the game with all seriousness.
But the well-built visitors thwarted the Phobians effort and even went the extra mile to managed an away goal after recess.
Midfielder Michael Asante, opened the scoring after a well initiated midfield action involving Samuel Affum, Asante, Eric Gawu which finally saw Asante crowning his effort with a strike in the 21st minute.
After the opener, the Phobians tried in vain to increase the tally before the break, multiplying in attack but the visitors' back line weathered the storm. Six minutes before the break, FC 105 probed Hearts defense but Kwabena Boafo, Isaac Takyi Mensah, Hassan Mohammed and Ebenezer provided cover for goalkeeper Collins Addo.
Few minutes before recess, Hearts threw more men upfront to increase the tally and in one of their raids, they came close to making it two but they were denied by the cross bar on the stroke of the first half.
Both sides struggled to find their rhythm few minutes after the break and when Hearts was putting pieces together, the Gabonese took advantage of a defensive error to pull even when coloured-hair Claude Cedric tapped home a Michael Buisson pass twelve minutes into the second half.
When all seemed lost, substitute Abanga who came in forTakyi Mensah two minutes into the second half, fired home a 25-metre strike setting the stadium ablaze.. Francis Bossman made it three when he converted a sport kick to beat goalkeeper Bakale, but it was too late to secure a place for the next stage of the competition
Before Hearts' third goal, the visitors attempt to frustrate the home side saw Fabrice Mbandinga employing hard tackles which earned him a red card in the latter part of the game.
Clear goal scoring opportunities presented itself to Hassan Mohammed, Gawu, winger Solomon Amoasi and substitute Ruben Senyo but they failed to utilize the chances.
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