Hearts of Oak have defended their decision to continue their preseason in Libya insisting it is purely for developmental purposes.

The Phobians lost 3-0 in the first leg of their friendly against Ahli Tripoli adding to their 4-1 defeat of WAFA.

This comes at a time the club has failed to inspire confidence amongst their hugely populated fan base.

Spokesperson of the club, Kwame Opare Addo however believes the trip will provide invaluable lessons for the players as they prepare to mount a title challenge in the upcoming Ghana Premier League. 

"I don’t think it has got to do with we coming here as a matter of finances."

“If it is finances, then we could have stayed back home and continued with our training,” Opare told Joy Sports

“It is just working to find an environment where we can improve upon what we have started.”

“So coming here, most people think it is not prudent to be here because of the unrest but I can assure you that you if you come here and look at the facilities and how the people love football, nothing has changed in Libya football.”

“It is one of the appropriate places to continue to develop. The team we played is a big team. If you come here and play them, there are some useful lessons you’ll pick.”

The Phobians are scheduled to play their Libyan counterparts in the second leg of their friendly on Friday.

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