Accra Hearts of Oak kicked off the second round of the Ghana Premier League in spectacular fashion, securing a commanding 3-0 victory over Real Tamale United (RTU) at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.
Hamza Issah's brace, along with Enock Asubonteng's goal, propelled the Phobians to a comfortable win, propelling them to 9th position on the league table while RTU remained at the bottom.
Under the guidance of their new coach, Aboubakar Ouattara, Hearts of Oak made significant changes to their starting lineup. New signing Kasim Cisse made his debut, alongside Salim Adams, who returned from his loan spell at FC Cincinnati in the United States.
From the outset, Hearts of Oak adopted an aggressive counter-pressing strategy, denying RTU time on the ball and dominating midfield duels.
Their dominance translated into goals in the 19th minute when Isaiah unleashed a stunning strike past RTU goalkeeper Abdul Rauf.
The Phobians continued to showcase their prowess, with Kasim Cisse impressing up front and goalkeeper Richard Attah rarely tested.
Hearts doubled their lead in the 41st minute as Isaiah headed home from close range, capitalizing on a superb cross from Salifu Ibrahim.
Maintaining their two-goal advantage going into halftime, Hearts controlled the pace of the game in the second half, though RTU showed glimpses of quality.
However, RTU struggled to create clear-cut chances, failing to trouble Richard Attah in goal.
Hearts suffered a setback when Cisse was forced off due to injury, but his replacement, Enock Asubonteng, made an immediate impact, converting from close range in the 71st minute.
In the closing stages, Hearts remained in control, with Attah making crucial saves to preserve the clean sheet and secure the emphatic victory for his team.