Hearts of Oak coach, Aboubakar Ouattara, acknowledged the resilience of lower-division side Home Stars despite his team’s comfortable win in the Round of 32 of the 2024/25 MTN FA Cup.
The Ghana Premier League side hosted Home Stars at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium, where the first half ended in a goalless draw.
However, Hearts of Oak delivered an impressive performance in the second half, scoring three goals to secure their place in the Round of 16.
Speaking after the match, the Ivorian manager reflected on the tough start.
“All the games in the world are difficult. Today we faced another challenge, and we won,” Ouattara said.
“The first half was very difficult for us, and for the first 15 minutes or so, we were under some pressure to win the ball because we couldn’t control the game.
“It’s a knockout in the FA Cup. We thank God we qualified for the next stage,” he added.
With their FA Cup campaign moving forward, the Phobians now shift focus to the Ghana Premier League. They face defending champions FC Samartex this weekend at the Nsenkyire Sports Arena in Matchday 17 games.