Hearts of Oak closing in on new head coach deal as Tunisian International Khalil Abid aims restoring lost glory
Hearts of Oak are closing in on new head coach deal for Tunisian International Khalil Abid who has ambition of restoring the former champions in the Ghana Premier League and CAF Champions League.
The Ghana Premier League heavyweights are currently in search of a new head coach ahead of the new 2023/24 Ghana football season.
Hearts of Oak worked with three different coaches last season and came close to being relegated but finished 12th on the pile.
Samuel Boadu who started the season was sacked midway through last season and was replaced by Slavko Matic on a two-year deal.
However, the Serbian manager was sacked due to a poor run of results.
Assistant coach, David Ocloo was named the interim manager until the end of the season. Following the conclusion of the 2022/23 season, the club and Ocloo mutually parted ways.
The Phobians have been linked with several coaches since mid last season and were reportedly in discussions with GPL gurus Samuel Boadu, their former boss who won the the league three seasons ago, and Prosper Narteh Ogum who has completed a reunion with Asante Kotoko this term.
The club have appointed Dutch International Rene Hiddink as technical director and that move appears to be changing the direction of the Ghanaian side on appointing a new head coach.
Since Hiddink’s resumption of office, a foreigner as the new permanent coach has been prioritized as Hearts monitored former ES Tunis coach Nabil Maaloul but that deal appears collapsed.
The GPL outfit have turned attention to signing another Tunisian man Khalil Abid with discussions with the Abid reportedly in advanced stage.
Abid has expressed his interest in the Ghanaian giants in an interview with Accra-based radio station Happy FM, with the North African coach stating he is not interested in money but only wants to help to restore the lost glory.
“The position of Hearts of Oak last season, which was 12th, was very poor for a team of such stature in the Ghana Premier League,” Abid asserted.
“Under my tenure, Hearts of Oak will be competing in Africa again,” he declared.
“I have been to Ghana a couple of times and I understand the terrain,” Abid shared, highlighting his familiarity with the Ghanaian football landscape.”
Abid was also quick to emphasize that his motivations transcend financial gains. “I’m not here for money; that’s not the objective,” he affirmed.
Heart thrashed Tunisian side ES Tunis 3-1 in 2000 to win their first CAF Champions League title and beat local rivals Kotoko in the maiden 2004 CAF Confederation Cup final on penalties. Their first Africa champions League glory put them on the road to meet UEFA Champions League history makers Real Madrid in the FIFA Club World Cup but failed to honour the global club football competition due to several challenges.
As it stand now, no Ghanaian club have participated in the FIFA Club World Cup that has been expanded into a new model in the 2025 edition to be played in USA. The new format can enlightened Ghanaian clubs chances to feature in the Club World Cup though that is not a straight forward journey.
This season, Hearts of Oak will open their Ghana Premier League campaign with an away game against Real Tamale United at the Aliu Mahama Stadium.
