Slavko Matic, the Serbian strategist for Accra Hearts of Oak, is the newest manager to compliment the team and captain Gladson Awako of the Black Galaxies.
This comes after Awako’s amazing free kick in the Phobians’ 2-1 victory over Bibiani Gold Stars on Saturday, October 29, 2022 at the Accra Sports Stadium.
In Accra, the 2020/21 Champions defeated Michael Osei’s team to earn the league’s inaugural victory in the 2022/23 betPawa Premier League. This was Matic’s debut domestic match.
The Rainbow Club had gone three games without a victory in the Premier League before Gladson Awako’s well-taken free kick in the 87th minute. Depending on other outcomes at the end of match week 4, the result moved the Rainbow Club up to ninth place in the rankings.
Slavko Matic, when asked about the former Great Olympics midfielder’s exploits in the Club’s victory over Gold Stars, said: “Awako is one of the leaders in the team. It is not a coincidence he is the team’s captain. We don’t need captains, we need leaders in the team.”
“I really appreciate the fans and thanks for supporting the team and I hope it continues like this,” he also noted and added: “It is very important, I told you Hearts of Oak are a big club, you know better than me, how much this club is big.”
“It is very important to create chances and score goals, we hope to continue this way, because these guys have really worked hard in the last 10 days,” the Serbian tactician again said.
After losing to Aduana Stars in the season’s opening match and drawing twice against local rivals Great Olympics and Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Accra Hearts of Oak has scored four goals and given up four in their last four games this season. They have yet to keep a clean sheet.
After the Phobians’ first game under Slavko Matic finished in victory yesterday, the team will now focus on an away trip to Kotoku Royals in Cape Coast on November 5, game day five of the 2022–23 BetPawa Premier League.