Heart of Lions head coach Bashir Hayford didn’t hold back in his post-match assessment following a 1-0 defeat to Aduana FC, insisting that his players failed to translate their training efforts into performance on the pitch.
A win could have propelled Lions to the summit of the Ghana Premier League, but the narrow loss leaves them in fifth place as the race for the title heats up.
Speaking after the match, Hayford congratulated Aduana but didn’t mince words about his squad’s shortcomings.
“Congratulations to them,” he said. “But what I told them on the training ground, what we rehearsed, was all not coming. I asked them whether something went wrong.
Is it anything different from what we do in training and what we expect on matchday? That’s why I was furious. It’s not the first time, especially with my centre-backs. The way they joke… but the goals we’ve been conceding, if you create dissonance, we don’t concede good goals.”
Hayford acknowledged the harsh realities of football but maintained his frustration at defensive lapses.
“Sometimes, that’s how football is,” he added. “If the opponent puts one in, you’re in trouble. For the defenders, I’m not surprised that maybe they are where they are on the table.”
As Lions prepare for Round 15, they will aim to bounce back against former champions Samartex 1996, hoping to convert lessons from the loss into points on the board.
