Hearts of Oak coach Nebojsa Kapor has urged his players to remain focused as they prepare to face Basake Holy Stars in the Ghana Premier League on Friday.
The Phobians welcome the fifth-placed side to the University of Ghana Stadium on October 23, with the Matchday 8 fixture scheduled to kick off at 17:00 GMT.
Hearts of Oak are chasing a third successive victory after edging Vision FC and Port City by 1-0 in their last two league matches. That run has taken the Accra-based club to second in the table, level on points with leaders Medeama SC and third-placed Samartex FC.
However, Kapor believes their recent form must not lead to complacency. He said Basake Holy Stars had already shown they possess the quality to make the fixture difficult.
“Basake won games at home and collected a good number of points. So far, they did well, and we are approaching them as a very strong opponent. We are not going to think this game will be easy, never,” he said.
The Serbian coach said Hearts of Oak would need to show the correct mentality, maintain tactical discipline and ensure every player understood their responsibilities. He rejected the idea that his team should approach the match believing they were automatically the stronger side.
“Every game here is very difficult, especially from a mentality side; we have to face this game very tough. We are not going to say we are the better team and we will win. No, we are really going to approach them very deeply from every department, from every single player, and like this we will create awareness and good and quality tactics for this game,” Kapor added.
The match was originally expected to take place on Sunday, but its move to Friday has reduced the time available for Hearts of Oak to prepare.
Kapor admitted the change had come as a surprise, although he believes his squad has still had enough time to work on its tactics and make the necessary preparations.
“A little surprise came because we expected this game to be on Sunday, but we got information that they are moving the game to Friday. So that is making a little short time for us, but also enough tactical sessions, and I’m sure we will prepare for this game nicely and put on a serious performance from our last game,” he said.
Hearts of Oak will attempt to extend their winning run and remain among the league’s leading sides, while Basake Holy Stars will aim to claim a result in Accra and improve their position in the standings.