Hearts of Oak coach, Kapor was full of praise for his side after they managed to beat Holy Stars in a hard fought 1-0 win at the University of Ghana.

The win sends the Phobians to the apex of the table monetarily pending the results of other games in game week right over the weekend .

Before the game, Hearts of Oak had beaten Port City and Vision FC and were looking to make it a three-peat win at home against Holy Stars.

The first half to produce any goals despite their best effort in possession and chances creation.

The game sprang to life with eight minutes to end proceedings as Martin Karikari’s belter made the difference.

Speaking after the game  Kapor praised the quality of the winning goal, saying: “I’m happy especially how we scored. That is a really, really good goal.”

Hearts now sit top of the league table.

Martin Karikari’s stunning 82nd-minute strike handed Hearts of Oak a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Basake Holy Stars at the University of Ghana Stadium on Friday

The Matchday 8 clash was a tightly contested affair between the two teams with the home side clearly the better side dominating large spells of possession and chances creation.

In the first half, Ransford Mensah’s powerful free-kick cannoned off the crossbar, Kader missed a glorious opportunity as well.

The second half saw the home team intensified their efforts for the breakthrough but the Anyinase team were resolute their defending.

In what looked like a possible draw with eight minutes to end the game, Martin Karikari took the mantle upon himself, wriggled past two players to unleash a superb left-footed volley past the goalkeeper to secure all three points.

The win extended Hearts’ winning run to three consecutive games coach Nebojša Kapor.

Hearts of Oak will contend with Basake Holy Stars in week eight of the league on Friday, 23 October 2026, at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium (Legon). 

The Phobians sit second with 14 points from seven matches, level on points with the leaders but behind on goal difference. They have scored eight goals and conceded just two overall.

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Buoyed by their recent away win at Vision FC, they would be looking to make it three consecutive wins and three consecutive clean sheets.

Meanwhile, Basake Holy Stars are fifth with 12 points. They have four wins and three defeats from seven games—joint-most wins in the league heading into this round, but away they have lost all three league matches this season (one goal scored, seven conceded).

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In four previous Ghana Premier League meetings since Basake’s promotion, each team has one win, and there have been two draws. Hearts have yet to beat Basake at home in their two previous home games (one draw, one loss, and no goals scored in those matches).

Prediction: Hearts of Oak 1-1 HolyStars

The Black Starlets suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Ivory Coast in the semi-finals of the 2026 WAFU Zone B U17 Championship on Tuesday, ending their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 U17 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The Black Starlets were forced to play with 10 men from the 17th minute after defender Daniel Owusu received a straight red card for an avoidable tackle on an Ivorian striker. Despite the early setback, Ghana showed resilience and remained competitive throughout the encounter at the 4th August Stadium in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Kassim Ocansey’s side held their own and created decent scoring opportunities in both halves. Striker Alidu Issah had a golden opportunity to put Ghana ahead but failed to hit the target, squandering what proved to be one of the Black Starlets’ best chances of the match.

Ivory Coast eventually broke the deadlock in the 76th minute through Alex Fousseni Bamba, who fired home from close range to give his side the decisive advantage.

The Starlets pushed desperately for an equaliser in the closing stages, refusing to surrender despite being a man down. David Kwarteng came close to restoring parity after beautifully controlling a pass from Prince Apam, but his effort narrowly missed the post.

The defeat ends the Black Starlets’ hopes of reaching the final and securing qualification for the 2027 U17 AFCON. Ivory Coast, meanwhile, have booked their place in the tournament final and secured a ticket to the continental competition in Morocco.

For Ghana, the disappointment will be difficult to swallow after an unbeaten group-stage campaign in which they recorded victories over Togo and Benin before drawing with hosts Burkina Faso.

The Starlets will now have to shift attention to the 3^rd-place final with the loser of the Niger-Burkina Faso clash.

Source: ghanafa.org