Hearts of Oak continued their impressive form with a 1-0 victory over Legon Cities in their first Premier League match of 2025, courtesy of a superb solo effort by midfielder Ramzy Yussif.
Yussif’s decisive goal came just before the halftime whistle, as he weaved past multiple defenders and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Kwame Aziz to secure the Phobians’ sixth win in their last eight matches.
The game marked a new chapter for Legon Cities, who announced the appointment of Yaw Acheampong as head coach just an hour before kick-off.
Acheampong, taking over from Paa Kwesi Fabin, made three changes to the squad for his debut, bringing in Morris Fuseini, Aaron Quartey, and Nicholas Nti in place of Frederick Akatuk, Frederick Ofori, and Bruce Tagoe.
Cities, desperate to end a four-match losing streak that left them anchored to the bottom of the table with 11 points from 15 games, began brightly. Forward Albert Yeboah spearheaded their attack, creating early opportunities, including a setup for Mohammed Alidu, who squandered a promising chance after losing his footing.
The visitors nearly took the lead midway through the first half when Emmanuel Amankwaah fouled Williams Adjei on the edge of the box. However, Quartey’s resulting free kick was deflected for a corner. Amankwaah was shown the game’s first yellow card for the foul.
Hearts had their share of missed opportunities, with Kwabena Asamoah failing to convert a pinpoint Theophilus Collison cross despite being unmarked, and Hamza Issa failing to connect cleanly with another delivery from Collison minutes later.
Just before the break, Yussif’s moment of brilliance broke the deadlock, putting the home side in control.
Legon Cities pushed for an equalizer early in the second half, with Amoah forcing a fine save from Hearts goalkeeper Benjamin Asare. However, their hopes were further dented in the 82nd minute when Amankwaah was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for time-wasting.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Hearts held firm through six minutes of added time to secure the win.
The victory propelled Hearts of Oak to second place on the table with 28 points, just two behind leaders Kpando Heart of Lions. Legon Cities remain at the foot of the standings with 11 points from 16 matches, leaving Acheampong with a challenging task ahead to steer the team out of relegation trouble.