Mohammed Zaidan scored in the 88th minute to hand Karela United a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Hearts of Oak, ending the Phobians’ unbeaten start to the Premier League season.

The decisive moment came at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium after an entertaining Matchday Four encounter, with Zaidan producing a composed finish late in the game to spark wild celebrations among the home supporters.

Karela United started with greater purpose and created the better chances in the opening half, but their dominance was not reflected on the scoreboard as they struggled to find the finishing touch.

Hearts of Oak also created opportunities but failed to pose the same level of threat as their hosts, with both sides heading into the break level after an action-packed first half.

Karela maintained their attacking pressure after the restart and continued to search for the breakthrough. Their persistence eventually paid off in the closing stages.

Zaidan produced a moment of individual brilliance, dribbling his way through the Hearts defence before firing a low effort into the net to secure all three points for Karela United with just two minutes of normal time remaining.

The victory gives Karela a valuable boost while bringing Hearts of Oak’s unbeaten run to an end after four matches.