There was much optimism in the camp of Hearts of Oak when Martin Koopman was appointed back in August. After winning all pre-season games with over 30 goals scored, the good feeling and expectations were further heightened.

The Phobians started the league with a setback in Tamale, where Owusu Afriyie’s stoppage-time goal gave Real Tamale victory. After bouncing back in their next outing against Nsoatreman, thanks to a strike from Kashala Ramos, subsequent defeat to Bofoakawa in Sunyani and a goalless draw against Dreams FC faded away the optimism and gave rise to pessimism.

“We have no striker. I tell you again, we’ve got no striker. Issah [Kuka] has gone abroad, so we have no striker. I tell them every time, so we missed a striker,” Koopman fumed after his side scored only one goal in the first four matches, and that was the genesis of the misunderstanding between the Dutch boss and the Phobians.

“During the pre-season, the coach did not mention neither did he indicate to the club that he would want a striker. The same strikers that the coach came to meet were scoring five, six, seven, eight goals for the coach and he never complained.” Elvis Herman Hesse, who is the National Chapters Committee Chairman of Hearts of Oak responded.

Hearts’ tenth match of the Premier League season against Legon Cities ended goalless and was Koopman's last appearance as the club's coach. He was sacked on November 14 after just three months in charge, having managed to secure only two victories in ten matches. The club was without a win in five of their last six games, leaving them in 11th and two points above the relegation zone.

Hearts of Oak justified the decision to relieve the trainer of his duties. “Nobody had a quarrel with him, we have repeatedly been telling him [Koopman] we want better results and the results coming out are not really good results for the club. Just like any civilised country would behave, a non-performing coach is thrown out,” Board member Dr. Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe told the media.

The dismissal did not sit well with Koopman. In an interview with Ghanasportspage.com, the 67-year-old accused the board of playing a major role in the poor form of the club. “There are seven players they told me not to use in the competition. It was a day before our opening game.”

A claim vehemently denied by the board members. They insisted that they are the right men for the job. “The board finds Koopman’s statement very distasteful,” Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe said.

“The board has never said to any coach or Koopman that he shouldn’t use the players he mentioned. Martin Koopman was solely in charge of player selection in the team. He was given full responsibility. He [Koopman] started complaining long ago that we don't even have strikers. The responsibility of a coach is to turn footballers into good footballers.

“Those who are crying around, they can never run this club, we've tried them before. We know we have a responsibility and we are going to make sure that we perform and perform well.”

Hearts of Oak Struggles: Former coach Martin Koopman has accused the club’s board of influencing player selection.

The board denies any involvement in player selection.@FactualMubarak has the details.#JoySports pic.twitter.com/gUwjDfPigZ

— #JoySports (@JoySportsGH) December 6, 2023

Hearts of Oak lost to Aduana FC in their previous encounter and are set to face Asante Kotoko in the super clash on Sunday.

The sooner these public outbursts are resolved, the better it will be for the team.