Accra Hearts of Oak have announced their withdrawal from the upcoming EKO International Tournament in Lagos, Nigeria, citing concerns over player welfare and the need to adhere to a planned rest and recovery schedule ahead of pre-season.

The Phobians were originally slated to participate in the high-profile tournament, which was scheduled to run from July 6 to 13.

However, a recent rescheduling by the organisers has pushed the tournament to July 13–20, a development that conflicts with the club’s internal calendar.

In a statement released on Monday, Hearts of Oak said, "the tournament was later rescheduled to July 13–20. Unfortunately, this change clashes with our carefully planned rest and recovery period for the players, which is crucial before we kick off our pre-season preparations.”

The club added that the decision to pull out was made after “careful discussions between management and the technical team,” emphasizing that the well-being of the players remains the top priority.

“We have taken the difficult decision to withdraw in order to protect the well-being of our squad,” the statement continued.

“We sincerely apologize to the organizers and our fans who were looking forward to seeing the team in action.”

The EKO International Tournament was expected to feature top clubs from across the continent, including, Enyimba (Nigeria) and SuperSport United (South Africa) offering a competitive platform ahead of the new season.

The 2022 MTN FA Cup champions, will now turn their focus toward domestic readiness as they gear up for the 2025/26 campaign.