After breaking their long title drought, are Accra Hearts of Oak ready to dominate Ghanaian football again?

Hearts of Oak are one of the biggest clubs in Ghanaian football, but the Phobians had been on a long slumber over the last decade.

They finally woke up in the 2020/2021 season, claiming the Ghanaian Premier League title- their first since 2009- and the FA Cup.

Hearts were the dominant force in Ghana during the early 2000s, winning six titles between 2000 and 2009, but they then endured a surprisingly long journey through the wilderness, failing to claim another title until 2021.

That 12-year spell between 2009 and 2021 is by far their longest title drought since the league officially began in 1956.

With their 2021 success, the capital club has now amassed 20 league titles, and is now just three behind fierce rivals, Asante Kotoko.

Having ended their dry spell in the league, Hearts will hope to kick on from there and win more titles in the next few years as they attempt to make up for lost time and chase down Kotoko on the Premier League leaderboard.

The new league season is set to begin in late October, and Samuel Boadu's men are early favourites to retain their title.

With the Ghanaian Premier League now available on many betting companies, quite a few Ghanaian punters will have their money on the reigning champions to retain their title.

Just under a month after sealing their league triumph, Hearts ended another long drought, beating Ashanti Gold in the Ghana FA Cup final to win the tournament for the first time since 2000, when they also completed the domestic league and cup double.

Hearts of Oak have now won the cup a record 11 times, pulling two clear of Kotoko with their latest success.

According to Ghana Football Association rules, Hearts have also emerged as Super Cup champions, by virtue of winning the Premier League and the FA Cup.

Now that they have completed the clean sweep of the local scene, can they reassert themselves on the continental stage?

Hearts of Oak will be Ghana's sole representative in the CAF Champions League next season, staging a return to the competition following years of absence.

The Phobians won their solitary CAF Champions League title in 2000, when they recorded an impressive treble, and were beaten finalists in 1977 and 1979. They were Confederation Cup winners in 2004.

Their participation in next season's Champions League will be their first involvement in the continent's premier club competition since 2008. (They pulled out of the 2009 edition due to financial issues). 

After being away from the Champions League for such a long time, Hearts will be determined to make up for lost time when they return to the tournament next season. The least they will expect from themselves is to get through the preliminary rounds and make it into the round-robin phase.

The sleeping giants of Ghanaian and African Football have finally woken up, and they will hope to remain wide awake for a very long time and battle for the biggest trophies in the game.