Ghanaian giants Hearts of Oak have joined arch-rivals Kotoko by insisting that they will not boycott the second round of the Premier League over the lack of sponsorship revealing that such an action would be counter-productive.
The Accra-based club issued a statement insisting that they are not a part to the decision by King Faisal owner Alhaji Grunsah to boycott the competition when the league re-starts.
The case by the King Faisal looks to be collapsing as Hearts join clubs like Kotoko, Medeama, Liberty Professionals, Hasaacas, Inter Allies, Wa All Stars, Aduana Stars, Bechem United and Berekum Chelsea who are not interested in the proposal by Grunsah.
Grunsah is seeking clubs to support of his idea at a meeting of the Ghana League Club Association (GHALCA) on Wednesday which sparked condemnation from Kotoko who insist they will play the league.
Hearts were reported by a Ghanaian newspaper to be among those considering the boycottt but the Accra-based club have issued a comprehensive statement before Wednesday's meeting saying they will not boycott the league.
"The attention of Management of Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club Limited has been drawn to a story in the Ghanaian Times (January 7, 2014) which indicates that the Ghana League Clubs Association [GHALCA] is meeting on Wednesday over a Premier League boycott threat by the sixteen Premier League clubs who “claim they lack the financial wherewithal to compete in the top flight.â€, the statement from Hearts of Oak read.
"We, at Accra Hearts of Oak, wish to state emphatically that we have never made such a claim.
"We have been invited to the meeting by GHALCA to discuss ways in which the Premier League clubs can improve their financial position and we believe that such a platform would stimulate innovative ideas leading to progress for all Premier League clubs.
"We will be attending the said meeting with a focus on making our modest intellectual contribution to the discourse on how to improve revenue generation for the league and not to advocate a boycott as the story predicts.
"We believe that a boycott would be counter-productive because, without generating any income, the Clubs would still be paying idle players and paying other bills. We would only succeed in sending negative signals to a world that has come to admire Ghana Football internationally.
"This, we believe, would not be a pleasant message to send across to the world from a country that has successfully managed and guided its national team to three straight FIFA World Cup tournaments.
"We remain supportive of the cause of all clubs in Ghana Football, and also of the efforts of the Ghana Football Association in being able to procure sponsorship for the Ghana Premier League for a number of years now.
"We are certain that a concerted, collective and collaborative effort between the Premier League Clubs and the Ghana Football Association, our mother body, would enable us to reap benefits that would go a long way to alleviate the burden of Premier League Clubs in Ghana."
Kotoko were the first to state that they will not join in the proposed boycott.