Accra Hearts of Oak made a powerful statement on the opening weekend of the 2026/27 Ghana Premier League season, cruising to a commanding 4-0 victory over Berekum Chelsea at the University of Ghana Stadium on Sunday.
Veteran striker John Antwi was the star of the afternoon, scoring twice in the first half to put the Phobians firmly in control before Mamadou Kader Kourouma and Ali Mohammed completed the emphatic victory after the break.
The result gives new Hearts of Oak head coach Nebojsa Kapor a dream start to his competitive tenure and sends an early warning to the rest of the Ghana Premier League.
John Antwi strikes twice
Hearts of Oak needed only a few minutes to open the scoring.
Antwi reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the Berekum Chelsea penalty area and fired home to give the Phobians an early advantage.
The visitors had an opportunity to respond when Hearts goalkeeper Benjamin Asare made an error while attempting to control the ball. However, Jonah Attuquaye failed to capitalise, sending his effort over the crossbar.
Hearts punished Chelsea for the missed opportunity in the 37th minute.
Antwi rose inside the penalty area to meet a well-delivered cross and headed home his second goal of the match, giving Hearts a 2-0 lead before halftime.
The brace marked an impressive league debut for the experienced forward following his move to Hearts of Oak.
Hearts maintain control after the break
Berekum Chelsea struggled to find a way back into the contest after the interval as Hearts continued to pose the greater attacking threat.
The Phobians eventually extended their lead in the closing stages when Mamadou Kader Kourouma made an immediate impact on his debut, heading home from a cross to make it 3-0.
With the result already beyond doubt, Hearts were awarded a penalty in stoppage time.
Defender Ali Mohammed stepped up and calmly converted from the spot to complete the 4-0 rout.
Perfect start for Nebojsa Kapor
The emphatic victory represents an ideal beginning to Kapor’s reign at Hearts of Oak.
The Phobians not only collected all three points but also produced the kind of attacking performance that will excite their supporters following a relatively modest scoring record last season.
The victory also ended Hearts of Oak’s long wait for an opening-day Ghana Premier League victory, with reports noting that their previous Matchday 1 win came in 2016.
Hearts of Oak now sit at the top of the early Premier League standings after Matchday 1.
Hearts of Oak turn attention to GoldStars
The Phobians will look to build on the impressive start when they travel to face Bibiani GoldStars in their next Ghana Premier League fixture.
For Berekum Chelsea, the focus will be on recovering from the heavy defeat when they return home to face Dreams FC in Matchday 2.
The 4-0 scoreline gives Hearts of Oak an early advantage in the league’s goal difference column and, more importantly, provides Kapor and his players with significant momentum as the new campaign gets underway.
