Accra Hearts of Oak were left frustrated after settling for a 1-1 draw against Vision FC on Matchday 27 of the Ghana Premier League, despite a commanding first-half performance at the Nii Adjei Okraku II Sports Complex on Sunday.
The Phobians went into the match as underdogs in the eyes of some pundits and Vision FC fans, but they quickly took control of proceedings from the first whistle. Their dominance paid off in the 40th minute when a Ransford Osei corner was initially cleared, only for Mohammed Hussein to retrieve the ball and whip in a cross into the box. A scramble ensued, and Kelvin Osei Asibey reacted quickest, tapping home to give Hearts the lead.
Just before halftime, the hosts nearly found the equalizer, but Hearts goalkeeper Benjamin Asare came to the rescue with a well-timed save. With three minutes of added time played, Hearts of Oak went into the break with a deserved 1-0 advantage.
After the restart, the Phobians nearly doubled their lead, but Afriyie Boateng failed to connect with a pinpoint cross from Mawuli Wayo. That missed opportunity proved costly as Vision FC responded almost immediately. In the 47th minute, Adjetey Sowah unleashed a stunning curling effort from outside the box, beating Benjamin Asare and nestling the ball into the left-hand corner to draw level.
The equalizer swung the momentum in Vision FC’s favor, and they began to dictate the tempo, keeping Hearts pinned in their own half for large portions of the second period.
Hearts of Oak nearly snatched a late winner through Seth Osei, who made a determined solo run in the closing stages. However, his weak shot lacked the power and precision to trouble the goalkeeper, and the match ended 1-1.
The result sees Hearts of Oak drop to fifth on the league table with 41 points from 26 matches.
Meanwhile, in another big clash of the weekend, Asante Kotoko also played out a 1-1 draw with Bechem United at the Baba Yara Stadium. Despite the draw, Kotoko remain joint-top of the table on 47 points, level with Gold Stars, who secured a 1-0 win over Young Apostles at Duns Park.
