Liberty Professionals have announced they would not be participating in the CAF Confederation Cup next year after carefully analysing club finances.

Alhaji Sly Tetteh told Joy Sports it would not make economic sense to pursue the continental competition hence the decision to opt out.

Sly Tetteh, club founder said the club initially thought of participating but other issues such as match venues for the games and the cost involved in shuttling between Accra and available venues wound compound the club’s financial needs.

Liberty first participated in the Confederation Cup in 2004 but bowed out at the knockout stage, having previously been punished with suspension by CAF for withdrawing late from the competition after the draws had been announced.

On Tuesday Accra Hearts of Oak announced they had pulled out of the same Confederations Cup competition following what the club said was an unfortunate decision by the Professional League Board and Ghana Football Association decided to register them for the Confederations Cup instead of their preferred choice, the Champions League.
A statement signed by Mr Thomas Okine, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the club said the club had no alternative than to pull out after the GFA decided to go ahead with decisions agreed on at the July 2006 Congress, which stated that the first two clubs on the league table as at November 30, 2006, would be entered for the CAF Champions League, whilst the third and fourth go for the Confederations Cup.

Hearts as at November 30 were third on the table behind Kotoko and Ashantigold.

Rather than go for the Confederation Cup, Hearts are to concentrate on repackaging the team and re-strategizing for future continental games as well as concentrate on the remaining matches of the 2006/07 league with the limited resources available to ensure a place in the 2008 Champions League slot come April 2007.