Karela United stun Hearts of Oak with late Zaidan Mohammed goal in Tamale

Pinned summary · as of 05:40

Hearts of Oak suffered their first Ghana Premier League defeat of the season on Saturday, 26 September, losing 1-0 in Tamale to Karela United. Karela forward Zaidan Mohammed settled the Matchday 4 game late in the second half.

What we know

• Karela United won 1-0 at home, stopping a Hearts of Oak side that had opened the campaign with two wins and a goalless draw against Bechem United.
• Mohammed scored the only goal in the 88th minute, from close range.
• Before kick-off, Hearts had beaten Berekum Chelsea 4-0 and come from a goal down to win 2-1 at Bibiani GoldStars. Karela had lost 2-1 at Aduana FC the previous weekend.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Ghana Sports Page reported that Hearts goalkeeper Sharif Shuaib made saves in each half to keep the game goalless until Mohammed struck, and that a first-half Hearts effort was ruled out for offside. No other report gives this match detail.
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  The Vaultz News reported that Mohammed was named Man of the Match and that Karela had lost both of their previous away games. No other report carries either point.
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  According to The Vaultz News, Hearts head coach Nebojsa Kapor conceded his players were below their best but felt the scoreline was unfair to them. Mohammed, also quoted there, said Karela were set on taking all three points with another away game coming.
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  MyJoyOnline quoted Karela coach Nurudeen Amadu as calling it one of the toughest games his team has played, praising Hearts' tactics and crediting a substitution. He said the win would lift morale before the trip to Kumasi to face Asante Kotoko on 1 October.
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  The Vaultz News said Hearts head to Kasoa next weekend for a game against Dreams FC on the Tuba Astro Turf. Only that report gives the fixture.

Why it matters for Ghana

The result ends the unbeaten start of one of the league's biggest clubs and gives Karela a lift at home in Tamale, where supporters had seen them lose at Aduana a week earlier. It also reshuffles the early table, with Hearts' followers across Ghana now watching how the team responds on the road. Karela's next test is a trip to Asante Kotoko in Kumasi on 1 October.