Hearts of Oak marks 106th birthday

ruth

November 11, 2017 8:55 AM

The team was formed on 11th November, 1911

Today marks the 106 birthday of Ghanaian giants Hearts of Oak.

The team was formed on 11th November, 1911 and it was the third football club in Gold Coast after Excelsior (1903 in Cape-Coast) and Invincibles (1910 in Accra).

Hearts of Oak won their first major match in 1922 when Sir Gordon Guggisberg, governor of the Gold Coast, founded the Accra Football League.

The Phobians won 6 out of 12 seasons in this league. In 1956, Hearts joined the Ghanaian football league and have flourished since.

Trivia about the club

(i) 1st captain: - They chose Saltpond-born Akom Duncan as their first playing captain.

(ii) Hearts of Oak Emmanuel Christ Briandt was the 1st ever Captain of the Black Stars

(iii) When the Black stars (for the first time) won Africa Cup of Nations in 1963, skipper Edward Aggrey-Fynn was also the captain of Hearts.

(iv) This was repeated in 1995 when Hearts skipper, Addo Odametey also captained the Black Stars to retain the Africa Cup of Nations.

(v) Ghana’s Africa Cup of Nation victories in 1963, 1965 and 1978 was masterminded by Coach C.K. Gyamfi (now Nana Kumi Gyamfi I), a FIFA /CAF Technical Instructor, who also played for Hearts.

Indeed Emmanuel Christ Briandt, Charles Addo Odametey (all deceased) and C.K. Gyamfi rose to become Patrons of the Club

(vi) The skipper of the Black Stars that qualified Ghana for its first ever FIFA World Cup Tournament in Germany 2006, and a repeat in south Africa 2010, Stephen Appiah, was nurtured and brought to stardom by Hearts.

(vii). Ablade Kumah - Captain of the Black Meteors that won Africa’s 1st ever Olympic soccer medal (Bronze) at the Barcelona Olympics (1992).

(Viii) Ishmael Addo – Golden Boots Winner at the FIFA U’17 World Cup in New Zealand (1999). He was also the first player to win the top scorer of the Ghana Premier league on three consecutive seasons and the second player after Dan Owusu to hit this feat, since the inception of the Ghana football league in 1956.

(ix)Do you know that Hearts of Oak in the 1950's brought Stanley Matthew to Ghana and he played ceremonial matches in Hearts' jersey against some of the local clubs?

(iix) Do you know that in 1969 Hearts invited Santos club of Brazil with Pele leading their attack and the game ended draw?

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ruth