Bibiani Gold Stars and Hearts of Oak went head-to-head in a competitive week seven fixture of the 2023/24 Ghana Premier League at Dun’s Park on Saturday.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw, and Gold Stars once again struggled to defeat Hearts of Oak on their home turf in the Ghanaian top-flight league.
Early in the game, Ramos Kashala had a promising opportunity to give Hearts of Oak the lead, but he failed to direct his effort towards the goal in the 18th minute of the first half.
Yaw Amofah also had his strike saved by the Bibiani Gold Stars goalkeeper in the 52nd minute of the second half.
Hearts of Oak maintained control of the game but encountered a determined defense from the host team. In the 67th minute, Evans Adomako found the net for Hearts of Oak, but the referee disallowed the goal for offside.
Appiah McCarthy, the former Ashantigold SC midfielder, converted a free kick in the 88th minute, breaking the deadlock for the home side.
It was McCarthy's third consecutive successful free kick at Dun’s Park, giving Bibiani Gold Stars the lead just before Hearts of Oak managed to equalize.
Hamza Issah headed home the equalizer for Hearts of Oak late in injury time, preventing the Phobians from another defeat. Appiah McCarthy was later shown a red card, reducing Gold Stars to 10 players for the remainder of the game.
With just one win in their last six games in the ongoing season, the pressure on Hearts of Oak coach Martin Koopman continues to mount.
After seven games, Hearts of Oak has accumulated six points in the Ghana Premier League.