GHALCA Top 4: Didi Dramani reacts as Hearts of Oak fall to GoldStars on penalties
Head coach of Hearts of Oak, Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, has shared his thoughts after his side’s dramatic 2-2 draw and subsequent 5-4 penalty shootout defeat to GoldStars in the second round of the 2025 GHALCA Top Four on Friday.
The reigning Ghana Premier League champions, GoldStars, twice took the lead through Samuel Atta Kumi—first converting from the spot in the 18th minute, before adding a second in the 34th.
The Phobians fought back, with George Paaku halving the deficit before the break, and substitute Mohammed Hussein tapping in Martin Karikari’s low cross in the second half to level the score.
Despite Hearts’ spirited comeback, the rules of the competition required penalties to decide drawn games, and GoldStars edged the shootout 5-4 to claim an extra point.
Speaking after the tense encounter, Didi Dramani praised his side’s resilience while admitting areas for improvement:
“It’s not a bad day. Losing is part of it and we’ve learned a lot from it. Those are the good points we take from here.
I think we lost some spaces both defensively and offensively, but in the latter part of the game we were able to rectify this, so we took control and that is how we were able to score the equalizer.”
The result leaves GoldStars top of the standings with five points, followed by Hearts of Oak on four, Heart of Lions on three after beating Asante Kotoko, while the Porcupine Warriors sit bottom with no points.
The final round of games comes off on Sunday, August 24, with the highly anticipated Hearts of Oak vs Asante Kotoko clash set to headline proceedings.
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