The National Chapters Committee (NCC) Chairman of Accra Hearts of Oak, Alhaji Yusif, has pointed squarely at poor officiating as a primary reason the Phobians missed out on the 2025/2026 Ghana Premier League title.
Hearts of Oak finished their campaign in third place with 54 points, trailing runners-up Bibiani Goldstars (60 points) and league champions Medeama FC, who secured the ultimate prize with 62 points.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Hot 93.9FM’s Hot Sports show with host Champion Bernaldo, Alhaji Yusif expressed deep frustration over how the season unfolded, specifically targeting the standard of refereeing.
“We felt confident that we were on track to win the league, but things didn’t go as planned…While I won’t place all the blame on the referees, their performances were seriously flawed, and they must do better. There were critical officiating decisions that directly derailed our dreams of winning the championship.”
Beyond the controversial refereeing, the NCC Chairman did not spare the squad – he criticised the players for failing to step up during the most crucial moments of the title race. He noted a distinct lack of resilience when the pressure peaked.
“It reached a point where the players couldn’t uphold the standards expected of Phobians. They needed to embody our ‘never-say-die’ spirit and fight through the adversity for the sake of the club, but unfortunately, they fell short. Exactly when we needed them to be at their strongest, they faltered.”He admitted
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