Former Hearts of Oak goalkeeper Richard Attah - Photo X.
Former Hearts of Oak goalkeeper, Richard Attah has described the biggest football derby between Hearts of Oak and Kotoko as a male or break game for players.
The two biggest clubs will rekindle their rivalry at the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday, December 15 in a week 13 fixture of the Ghana Premier League. Attah, who won a domestic treble with the Phobians in the 2020/21 league season, spoke to Pan-Africa Football.
“Matches of this nature can either change your life or destroy your life but it does not give much pressure to the players. If you relax, you can play such a game but you have to be very strong to withstand the pressure that comes with it.
“During our time, we needed to be strong to play against Asante Kotoko. You have to believe in yourself every time.When I was in Hearts of Oak, Kotoko never defeated us in four different meetings.”
Talking about the pressure that comes with playing in a stadium filled to the rafters, Attah admits that, it brings some form of jitters among inexperienced players. “It depends on the player and where he comes from because some players have seen a massive crowd before so they are not deterred by that.
“However some players get jittery when they see a big crowd especially if you have not played in a stadium filled with heavy crowd. So you need to either make a mark for yourself or destroy your career as a player. It is not that easy though.
“The coach will do his bit in training but it is up to the players to remain strong on the pitch.”
Hearts of Oak sit 6th on the league table with 19 points, one better than Kotoko in 7th after 12 matches played in the 2024/25 league season.
Comentários