Eleven interesting facts about Ghana's oldest club

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Accra Hearts of Oak SC

• Accra Hearts of Oak won their only CAF Confederation Cup trophy by beating rivals Asante Kotoko in Kumasi

• Defender Joseph Hendricks missed his penalty kick as Michael Donkor scored the final kick to win the trophy for the Phobians

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2000 CAF Champions League winners, Accra Hearts of Oak, was founded on November 11, 1911, in the Gold Coast, now Ghana.

The seed for one of Ghana's most glorious clubs and the third oldest club in Africa was planted when some young men from a section of Accra called Ussher Town formed a soccer club to challenge the only other team in Accra at the time, The Invincibles.

The Phobians' unmatched success in the late 90s and early 2000s shot the club into global fame status, with a CNN weekly ranking of 8th becoming a point of reference for the greatness of the Oak Tree.

Though the club's fortunes changed under the leadership of current Board Chairman and Majority Shareholder Togbe Afede XIV, with the club going trophyless for more than a decade, they bounced back in a ground style.

The club was resurrected from the ruins with coach Samuel Boadu in the just-ended season as they won a treble (Ghana Premier League, FA Cup and Super Cup) in the 2021/2022 Ghana football season.

On their 110th anniversary, GhanaWeb takes a look at eleven remarkable feats chalked by the Rainbow team.

Below are elven interesting facts about Hearts of Oak:

Hearts was formed on 11/11/1911

The club was formed in Accra on 11th November 1911 by a group of young men led by Christopher Brandford Nettey (later Asafoatse Nettey), a war leader of the Ga State in the colonial times and his other colleagues, Sinon-Okraku brothers (Adolf, Alfred and Wilhelm), J.T .O Ankrah, J.A Aryee, Dodoo Annang, Darku Abbey, Mark Nettey, the Solomon duo (Amponsah and Kwashie), the Bruce-Tagoe brothers (W.W and T.F), Willie Ocran, TF Wilson, JDK Botwe, FD Amoo, Peter Malm and Quarshie Coker, Akom Duncan, all players of the team.

Hearts is officially the oldest club in Ghana football.

First win in a major tournament in 1922:

Despite being formed in 1911, Hearts had to wait for more than a decade to record their first win in 1922. This could be attributed to the absence of sanctioned football matches in the then British colony.

First league trophy in 1956:

Their first season in the maiden Ghana Premier League, Hearts were champions.

Domestic success:

The title in 1956 was the first of 20 league titles the Phobians have won in their 108 history. It is second highest to Kumasi Asante Kotoko who have amassed 24 titles.

In the FA Cup, Hearts are joint top winners with 10 trophies. They have two Super Cups.

Continental success:

Hearts have a trophy each in the CAF Confederation Cup and CAF Champions League in 2004 and 2000 respectively.

Hearts were the winners of the maiden edition of the CAF Confed Cup. The ‘virgin cup’ they called it. They also won the 2001 CAF Super Cup.

Hearts is also listed as one of CAF’s clubs of the 20th century.

Six consecutive Premier League Champions:

How about that for a record. Six seasons, six league titles from 1996 to 2002, the Phobians dominated football in the country. The won the CAF Champions League in that period and won the Confed Cup four years later.

Hearts ranked 8th by CNN:

On February 12, 2001 Hearts of Oak recorded another milestone, when CNN/World Soccer rated them the 8th best club in its weekly chart, rubbing shoulders with giants such as Real Madrid.

They remain the only team in Ghana with that enviable record.

Unbeaten run:

Under a defensively shrewd manager, Hearts went through an entire league campaign without losing a game.

Herbert Addo’s Hearts of Oak tasted no defeat in the 2002/2003 season but could not win the league. They were second.

Best squad in Ghana league history?:

Ever heard of the all-conquering 64 Battalions squad? Yeah that team that was assembled by the legendary coach Attuquayefio.

Sammy Adjei, Eben Dida Armah, Jacob Nettey, Amankwah Mireku, Ishmael Addo, Charles Allotey, Dan Quaye were all part of the great team that played scintillating football and won laurels.

Flotation of shares:

In 2009, the Hearts finally decided to swap their traditional status for a corporate one. Togbe Afede bought the highest number of shares thus became the club’s de facto owner.

Six times double winners(1973, 1979, 1989/90, 1999, 2000, 2020/21):

Accra Hearts of Oak completed the league and cup double after beating AshantiGold 8-7 on penalties in the final of the 2020/21 MTN FA Cup on Sunday at the Accra Sports stadium.

The victory means Hearts of Oak have now won completed the league and cup double on six occasions. Hearts of Oak have done the season double for an unprecedented 6th time.

The last time they achieved this feat was in 2000 when they went on to win a continental treble.