Look at the Players not the Head Coach – Amankwah Mireku on Hearts of Oak’s struggles

Former Accra Hearts of Oak defender Amankwah Mireku has defended head coach Aboubakar Ouattara. Mireku was part of the club’s iconic 1999/2000 “Invincibles” treble-winning squad. He believes the team’s recent struggles are due to player performance, not coaching failures.

Mireku noted that fans often blame the coach when results are poor. However, he feels the real issue lies with players not executing on match days. "The coach works with players all week," he said. "Once they step onto the pitch, he relinquishes control."

He added, "If things go wrong on the field, it’s more about the players than the coach." Mireku expressed confusion over this narrative. He acknowledged that coaches have responsibilities and limitations but emphasized that blaming them is common when results dip.

Mireku admitted that coaches can make mistakes but insisted they shouldn't bear all the blame. "Even when a player clearly commits an error, people still blame the coach," he said. "That’s unfair."

His comments come at a crucial time for Hearts of Oak. The team had a chance to climb up the Ghana Premier League table but faltered due to inconsistent performances.