Hearts of Oak head coach Nebojsa Kapor has urged his players to quickly move past their first defeat of the Ghana Premier League season and focus on their upcoming away match against Dreams FC.
The Phobians suffered their first setback of the 2026/27 campaign on Saturday when Mohammed Zaidan scored in the 88th minute to give Karela United a 1-0 victory at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium.
Despite the defeat, Kapor says his team must immediately shift its attention to the next challenge and begin preparations for the difficult trip to face Dreams FC.
“We have to forget this fast and continue preparation for the next steps because we are facing another away game, which will also be difficult against Dreams, and we have to concentrate on this game,” Kapor said.
The Serbian coach believes the defeat has provided important lessons for his players, particularly in their handling of Karela United’s long balls and second-ball situations.
Hearts struggled to deal effectively with Karela’s direct approach during the match, eventually conceding late in the game.
Kapor was also forced to manage the game without several key players, including captain Benjamin Asare, who was away with the Black Stars.
The absence of important players affected the options available to the Hearts technical team as they attempted to maintain their unbeaten run.
The Phobians had made an encouraging start to the campaign, recording two victories and a draw from their opening three matches before suffering the narrow defeat to Karela United.
Kapor will now be looking to regroup his squad and restore the momentum they built during the opening weeks of the season.
The Dreams FC encounter provides Hearts of Oak with an immediate opportunity to respond to the setback and return to winning ways.
The coach and his players will therefore have little time to dwell on the defeat as preparations begin for another demanding away fixture in the Ghana Premier League.
