Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Richard Atta has hailed his team’s determination after their hard-fought 1-0 victory over Bechem United in the Ghana Premier League.
The win, courtesy of a late goal from Martin Karikari, was Hearts of Oak’s first in five matches and lifted them to ninth place in the table with 21 points after 17 games.
Atta, who was named man of the match for his outstanding performance, spoke about the challenges of the game and the importance of teamwork.
“The game was not easy because it’s the last game of the round. We were determined to get the 3 points.” Richard Attah told StarTimes
He also addressed the missed penalty by Salifu Ibrahim, emphasizing the importance of supporting teammates during difficult moments.
“We were disappointed for missing the penalty,” Atta admitted. “As a footballer you will have to understand that it’s part of the game. The best thing to do was to encourage Salifu. Anything is possible as long as the game had not ended. You could see that my teammates were encouraging him.”
The forme Elimina Sharks goalkeeper also downplayed his own role in the win, attributing it to the collective effort of the entire team.
“It is team work,” Atta insisted. “I cannot say I played the 90minutes alone. We were 11 players that played the match. It was a collective effort from my teammates.”
The victory is a much-needed boost for Hearts of Oak, who will now go on a month-long break due to the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
The team will be hoping to use this time to regroup and refocus as they look to climb further up the table in the second half of the season.