Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club, commonly referred to as Hearts of Oak or just Hearts is a professional sports club based in Accra (Greater Accra), Ghana. The club competes in the Ghana Premier League, the Premier division on the Ghanaian football pyramid.
The Accra Sports Stadium is their home grounds where they play their home games. Hearts has won the Premier League twenty times, the FA cup a record ten times, the President's Cup twice, and the CAF African Champions League and the CAF Confederations Cup each once. Hearts of Oak was also ranked 8th football club in the world in the year 2000 when the club dominated most of the continent sporting activities.
HISTORY
The club was founded on 11 November 1911. Hearts of Oak won their first major match in 1922 when Sir Gordon Guggisberg, governor of the Gold Coast, founded the Accra Football League. Hearts won 6 out of 12 seasons in this league. In 1956, Hearts joined the Ghanaian football league and have flourished since.
In the year 2000, Hearts of Oak won the Ghana FA cup, the Ghana Premier League and for the first time in their history the CAF Champions League.This was the most successful year in the Clubs' history.
On May 9, 2001, 127 people died in Africa's worst footballing disaster. During a match between rivals, Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko. Trouble started when supporters of Asante Kotoko began ripping out seats in an act of hooliganism in protest at a goal allowed by the referee. The match was officiated by referee J.Wilson Sey, from Cape Coast. Police reacted by firing tear gas into the crowd, it has been suggested that this was an over-reaction. Reports suggest that the gates to the ground were locked and the stadium was not up to FIFA standards. The rush to escape the tear gas was a contributory factor to the death toll. A commission inquiry, indicted six police officers in its initial report, but they were not convicted as it was deemed that the deaths could have been caused by the stampede instead of the tear gas.
STADIUM
Accra Hearts of Oak play home matches at the Accra Sports Stadium. The Accra Sports Stadium formerly known as Ohene Djan Sports Stadium is currently under construction and holds an estimated 40,000 seats. Although purchased in the 1980s, the Pobiman Training Ground was only put to use in the summer of 2018. Construction for an expansion of the 19-acre site in the Pobiman neighborhood, is currently in the planning stages way. The club plans to build a state-of-the-art facility.
RIVALRIES
Accra Hearts of Oak's longest established rivalry is with Asante Kotoko S.C. and their city rivals Accra Great Olympics FC.
HONOURS
Official Trophies (recognized by CAF and FIFA)
Domestic
- Ghana Premier League
- Champions (20): 1956, 1958, 1961–62, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1989–90, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2009
- Ghanaian FA Cup
- Winners (10): 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981, 1989, 1990 (After winning a protest that declared them winners), 1993–94, 1995–96, 1999, 2000
- Ghana Super Cup
- Winners: 1997, 1998
International
- CAF Champions League
- Winners: 2000
- Runners-up: 1977, 1979
- CAF Confederation Cup
- Winners: 2004
- CAF Super Cup:
- Winners: 2001
- Runners-up: 2005
- CAF Clubs of the 20th Century:
- Accra Hearts of Oak is one of CAF's clubs of the 20th Century