Hearts of Oak are Ghana FA Cup champions after beating Ashanti Gold 7-8 on penalties in the final on Sunday.
Following a 0-0 draw after extra-time, the game headed into a shoot-out where the Phobians emerged supreme at the Accra Sports Stadium. It was Kofi Mensah’s miss in what was a dramatic marathon shoot-out which handed the trophy to the Accra-based side.
Hearts have now completed a double in the 2020-21 term, having earlier beaten arch-rivals Asante Kotoko to the Premier League title. It is their first time of sealing the double since 2000 when they last won the cup competition.
Hearts coach Samuel Boadu presented a very strong starting line-up which featured usual suspects Patrick Razak and Daniel Afriyie Barnieh in attack.
For AshGold, Yaw Annor, Mark Agyekum and Seth Osei were handed the responsibility of leading the search for goals.
Both teams, however, failed to find the back of the net in 120 minutes of action as referee Daniel Laryeah sent the game into penalties. In the shoot-out, Amos Addai and David Abagna (AshGold) and Caleb Amankwah and Barnieh (Hearts) missed their efforts in the first five of kicks for each team, launching the shoot-out into sudden death.
When Benjamin Afutu missed Hearts’ 10th penalty kick, Seth Osei spurned the chance to win it for AshGold as he failed to convert what would have clinched the cup for his side.
There was even more misery to come for the Miners as Mensah missed their 11th kick after goalkeeper Richard Attah had earlier scored the corresponding take for Hearts.
The most successful club in the history of the competition, the Phobians have now established themselves as Ghana’s FA Cup kings, having made it 11 titles now, one more than arch-rivals Kotoko.
Sunday’s win also hands Hearts the opportunity to represent Ghana in next season’s Caf Confederation Cup but having earlier also secured the Champions League ticket by virtue of winning the Premier League, the Phobians are expected to choose the latter competition.
According to the Ghana Football Association, Kotoko or Medeama could then represent the West African nation in the Confederation Cup.