Former Hearts of Oak defender Amankwah Mireku has placed the blame for the club’s recent struggles on the current playing squad, rather than head coach Aboubakar Ouattara.
Hearts of Oak ended a four-game winless streak last Sunday with a hard-fought victory over Medeama SC at the Accra Sports Stadium in the 2024/25 Ghana Premier League. Despite this win, the Phobians currently sit 5th on the league table with 40 points after 25 matches.
Mireku, a member of the club’s historic 1999/2000 “Invincibles” treble-winning team, believes the real issue lies with the players and not the coach.
He argued that fans are quick to blame Ouattara when results are poor, overlooking the players’ responsibilities on the pitch.
“The coach works with the players all week, but once they step onto the pitch, he relinquishes control. If things go wrong on the field, it’s more about the players than the coach,” Mireku said.
While acknowledging that coaches can make mistakes, he criticized the growing tendency to scapegoat them for the team’s poor performance.
“For me, I don’t understand this narrative. The coach is human; he has his responsibilities and limitations. But when players don’t perform, people immediately point fingers at the coach. It has become the norm in town; once results dip, they say the coach is bad,” he stated. “Of course, the coach may make mistakes, but even when a player clearly commits an error, people still blame the coach. That’s unfair.”
Hearts of Oak will next face Vision FC on Matchday 27 of the Ghana Premier League at the Nii Adjei Kraku II Sports Complex on Sunday, April 13.