Slavko Matic, the UEFA Pro Licence Serbian coach of Accra Hearts of Oak, attributed their win against Nsoatreman to the players’ adaption after losing five players to the Black Galaxies.
Their meeting last Tuesday happened to be the first competitive game, but before the fixture, Nsoatreman had defeated Bibiani Gold Stars, Karela United, Dreams FC, and Tamale City at the Nana Professor Koromansa II Park in Twumasikrom, Nsoatre.
The only club that had remained unbeaten at home before the break was newcomers Nsoatreman and Accra Hearts of Oak, under their new coach, Slavko Matic, who had played two away games without a defeat.
The first half ended without a goal for either team, but Hearts of Oak were extremely fortunate to remain competitive without conceding a goal, while Nsoatreman dominated possession but failed to score.
Hearts of Oak extended their unbeaten streak under Slavko Matic to six games with a win over Nsoatreman FC, thanks to a second-half goal by Kojo Obeng Junior.
Daniel Afadzwu, the goalkeeper for Nsoatreman, made a mistake and failed miserably to clear the ball after leaving his area. Kojo Obeng Junior profited from this. Hearts took the lead in the 54th minute when Junior calmly put the ball into the goal.
Obeng Junior’s first goal under Slavko Matic and his first Premier League goal since June 8th, 2022, when they were defeated by the relegated Elmina Sharks by a score of two goals to one.
Hearts of Oak, after releasing five players from their team to the Black Galaxies ahead of their CHAN Tournament in Algeria, stayed focused and determined to return home with three points and a goal at the Nana Professor Koromansa II Park.
Slavko Matic responded in a post-game interview when asked if his team’s performance against Nsoatreman was accomplished even without his five key players.
“Congratulations to the players; they once again demonstrate incredible attitude and character. In the first half, we had problems because we knew they would play with long passes. In the second half, we changed our system and changed a lot of positions of the players,” Slavko stated.
He credited their ability to adjust to the technical staff’s instructions while the team was playing for victory.
He stressed, “They adapted very well; you saw the second half, they didn’t have any chance. One more time, congratulations to the team, and I think the better team won today.”
