After a hard-fought match against Karela, Martin Koopman, the head coach of Hearts of Oak, stated that his team's fighting spirit wasn't strong enough to secure all three points.

“I think everybody wants to win from Hearts of Oak and also this team wants to win. Fighting spirit; a lot of fighting spirit. We bring a little bit of fighting spirit but not enough to win this game." he told StarTimes

The Phobians played to a 1-1 draw with Karela on matchday 9 of the Ghana Premier League at the Aliu Mahama Stadium on Saturday, November 4, 2023.

In the 6th minute, Emmauel Owusu Boakye scored an early goal for Karela, putting them ahead. Hearts' Hamza Issah managed to level the score at 1-1 in the 40th minute, guiding Salifu Ibrahim's cross into the net.

Despite the competitive nature of the match, both teams ultimately had to settle for a point each. Coach Koopman stressed that his team exhibited some fighting spirit but not enough to secure a victory, emphasizing the desire to win that both Hearts of Oak and the team share.

Hearts of Oak currently stands in 9th position in the league standings with 10 points.

The team will continue to work on their performance in future matches to achieve better results.