Sports
The ‘Papic’ revolution must start now!
Hearts of Oak have been hit by a double whammy of misfortune: First, it was the resignation of their Serbian coach Kosta Papic, followed by the club’s goalkeeper’s trainer – Ben Owu. Perhaps, the latter’s action is no big deal.
The Serbian trainer handed in his resignation on Monday, attributing his decision to interference from the Hearts top hierarchy.
“The influence from the management and board in player selection will make every professional coach uncomfortable at Hearts of Oak,” Papic told Accra-based Angel FM.
Papic, who was having his second stint with the Phobians, had been in charge of 10 games – winning four, losing three and drawing the rest.
For a club that is fiercely hunting for its first silverware since the 2008/9 season, the Serbian’s run may have given many fans some discomfiting sense of worry.
That is fair enough.
Of course, in a situation where the coach is pointing to a panoply of interferences in his work, one cannot entirely fault him for the slump that has seen the Phobians now occupy the 11th position on the log with 17 points – eight adrift the leaders – Karela United.
The worse situation a coach can face in the course of his work is when his employers attempt to select players for him. This is one perplexing aspect many Ghanaian coaches encounter, but for fear of losing their job, they ‘hold their noses’ and endure the pain.
When you interfere in the job of the coach, you must as well share or take the blame when he performs abysmally. Sure, you do not pass the bug. You do not give the dog a bad name with the solitary intention of hanging it. That is the modus operandi of some big wigs in management positions.
One must, therefore, gild the lily of Papic for deciding to leave the club in the lurch. It was a smart move by a coach who appears clairvoyant to the catastrophe that awaits him if he continues to be at the helm of affairs.
Clearly, he could no longer take the bunkum-baloney anymore!
But more important, Papic’s exit must spark off a revolution in the club. It must be known as the ‘Papic’ revolution. The club’s faithful must wake up and ensure that the right thing is done. They must smoke out the bad elements in the club whose only preoccupation is to interfere in the work of coaches by insisting on players to use – without which they are victimised.
Indeed, in the last decade or so, Hearts have sacked more than 12 coaches, averaging about two in a season.
In 2012 alone, the club showed Serbian Nebojsa Vucicevic and C.K Akonnor the door. Coach David Duncan was the next to follow in 2013; same as Mohammed Polo (2014) and Herbert Addo (2015).
Others are Kenichi Yatsuhashi (2015-2016), Yaw Preko (2016), Portugal’s Sergio Traguil (2016), Scottish Frank Nuttal (2017-18), Henry Wellington Lamptey (2018), Seth Hoffmann (2018), Kim Grant (2018-19) and finally Kosta Papic (2020-21).
Question: With this string of recklessly thoughtless dismissals, what has it achieved for Hearts? Nothing! Instead, tears and heartbreaks! What stops the club from maintaining some consistency? Are we saying all these coaches sacked were not up to it or because they did not enjoy cooperation from the players? Certainly, something must be wrong somewhere!
It is the reason a good number of the fans think the current Board and Management of the Club appear clueless, bewildered and befuddled as to how to turn the tide around and must be flushed out.
On Wednesday, management of Hearts held a news conference and attributed the exit of Papic to things other than interference, insisting that they did their damnedest trying to convince the Serbian to stay.
Well, truth is, Hearts supporters are going through some harrowing moments now. Undeniably, if the worst comes to the worst and the club falls, it will be supporters who would pick up the pieces. But would the fans want to pass the time, sit aloof until such worse moment arrives?
It does not seem so!
PlainTalk with JOHN VIGAH
Black Stars midfielder Kwasi Sibo says the team is determined to begin its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with victory against Panama despite the absence of key midfielder Thomas Partey.
Partey will miss Ghana’s Group L opener in Toronto after Canadian authorities denied him entry into the country.
A Canadian court on Tuesday also rejected an emergency appeal seeking to overturn the decision. Canadian authorities ruled that he was inadmissible under the country’s immigration laws.
Reports indicate that the decision was linked to ongoing criminal charges he faces in the United Kingdom, which he denies.
Canadian officials also cited issues relating to information provided in his visa application.
His absence is a major blow for Ghana, with the experienced midfielder widely regarded as one of the country’s strongest players in the middle of the park and a key figure in the Black Stars setup.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup clash, Sibo said the players are united behind their teammate and want to deliver a positive result for him.
“Our coach always says whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Our brother has been through a lot these days, and we are always with him. He is one of our biggest stars” he said.
The midfielder noted that Partey has been part of Ghana’s journey from the beginning of the World Cup campaign, making his absence particularly difficult for the squad.
“We have to make sure we win the game for him as a family and make him happy,” Sibo said.
He admitted that it would be painful to play Ghana’s first match on football’s biggest stage without the former Arsenal midfielder but insisted the players are motivated to make him proud.
“It hurts that we are playing our first game at this big stage and he’s not with us. We are giving him our word that at the end of the 90 minutes, he will be happy,” he added.
Ghana will face Panama in its opening Group L match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the Black Stars seek a strong start to a group that also includes England and Croatia.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, together with the Government and people of Ghana, has sent a strong message of support to the Black Stars ahead of their opening match against Panama in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Toronto, Canada.
In an official statement released by Presidency Communications on June 17, 2026, the President said the entire nation is behind the team as they begin their fifth World Cup appearance, describing it as a symbol of Ghana’s resilience and unity.
“Our gallant Black Stars, as you stand on the threshold of your first match against Panama in Toronto, the Government and the over thirty million people of Ghana stand firmly behind you,” the statement said.
It added that the players are carrying the hopes and dreams of Ghanaians everywhere, from Chorkor to Bole and across the entire country.
The statement also called on Ghanaians living in Canada and across North America to fully support the team in the stadium, describing them as the “12th Man.”
It encouraged them to fill the stands with national colours and support the players throughout the tournament.
At home, the Government said arrangements had been made to ensure nationwide television coverage of the tournament so that all citizens can follow the matches live.
According to the statement, this move is to ensure that every Ghanaian, regardless of location, can watch and support the Black Stars.
The message urged the players to compete not only for the national flag but also for young Ghanaians who dream of following in their footsteps.
“The world is watching, and we are confident that the Black Star will shine brighter than ever before on this global stage,” the statement added.
Ghana will begin its World Cup campaign against Panama as part of Group L in Toronto.
By: Jacob Aggrey
