24/10/2025
๐๏ธ HEARTS AND KOTOKO MUST RISE AGAIN โ A CALL FROM YAW OBENG PREKO
It is both sad and painful to watch the once-great giants of Ghanaian football โ Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko โ struggle in every CAF competition today. These are teams that once made Africa tremble. They were feared and respected across the continent. But today, what do we see? The mighty have fallen, and we are watching our own humiliation unfold over and over again.
Sometimes, I sit and wonder โ what really happened to our beloved clubs? How did we move from being African champions to becoming easy opponents for clubs that used to fear us? The truth is, our football has been left behind. We have refused to move with the times.
Letโs look at the North African clubs โ Wydad Casablanca, Al Ahly, Esperance, Zamalek โ just to mention a few. These clubs dominate because they invest. They invest in modern football equipment, in world-class facilities, and most importantly, in quality players. They donโt just depend on local talent alone. They buy experienced players โ even Europeans and South Americans โ to strengthen their teams.
Meanwhile, in Ghana, our big clubs are busy recycling old players, signing cheap contracts, and relying on prayers instead of planning. Football has changed. It is no longer about past glory or old reputations. It is about hard work, modern training, and proper investment. You cannot compete with a team that spends millions of dollars on players and expect to win with hope and history alone.
I believe it is time for our football administrators, especially those at Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, to sit up and learn from what is happening around them. The humiliation is becoming too frequent. Every year, we are eliminated early from CAF competitions, and our excuses are always the same โ lack of support, poor officiating, bad pitches. But the truth is, we have failed to build competitive teams.
It is not too late to rise again. Ghanaian football still has talent, passion, and loyal supporters who love the game with all their hearts. What we need now is vision โ the kind of vision that sees beyond today. Hearts and Kotoko must begin to invest in quality players, in modern infrastructure, and in professional management.
Letโs not deceive ourselves โ no amount of history can win you a CAF Champions League today. You canโt face clubs like Wydad or Al Ahly with players who are not physically fit, tactically sharp, or motivated enough. The game has evolved, and if we donโt catch up, we will continue to be embarrassed on the continental stage.
To the leaders of Hearts and Kotoko โ this is the time to act. This is the time to return to the glory days. Our fans deserve better. Ghana deserves better. The names Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko must not just be remembered for past success, but for a new chapter of greatness built on wisdom, investment, and professionalism.
Football is not just about emotion. Itโs about planning, discipline, and money. Until we understand this truth, our clubs will continue to suffer. But if we start today โ if we build the right foundation and invest wisely โ I believe the rainbow will shine again, and the porcupine will rise once more.
The glory days are not gone forever. They are only waiting for the right people to bring them back.
โ โ๐พ Yaw Obeng Preko
Sports Journalist, Preko Sports TV
