Kickoff (Cape Town)
5 August 2008
Accra Hearts of Oak have finally ditched their infamous Lotteries Training pitch after new coach Kosta Papic deemed the surface unsuitable for their training activities.
The Phobians have had a sentimental attachment to the ground for years despite concerns that the uneven surface and grassless pitch does not make for a good training ground befitting a club of Hearts' stature.
Training on a rough surface like what we have at the Arts Centre would not help our players because it is possible that one or two of them could pick up injuries
Some Hearts fanatics have argued in the past that the grounds has helped them to many victories including their famous treble of League, Champions League and FA Cup wins but it seems Papic has won.
Team manager Sabahn Quaye says the change in training venues was at the instance of the technical team headed of the team headed by the Serbian.
"We needed this change because we wanted to get a smooth playing ground which will get the best out of the team," he said.
Papic said: "It is only when we train on a good pitch that we would be able to determine the pedigree of our players.
"Training on a rough surface like what we have at the Arts Centre would not help our players because it is possible that one or two of them could pick up injuries as a result of playing on poor surfaces."
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