Hearts of Oak ‘didn’t really see Samuel Boadu as a special figure’ - Nyaho-Tamakloe

Accra Hearts of Oak Board Member Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe has said the club “didn’t really see Samuel Boadu as a special figure” when the coach was handed the top job in the middle of the season.

Less than four months into his reign as Hearts of Oak’s coach, Boadu has exceeded expectations and is now held in high esteem by everyone connected to the club.

Boadu came in at a time when nobody gave Hearts a chance of winning the league because they were in crisis, with the resignation of Kosta Papic fuelling supporters anger towards the board of directors.

However, Boadu managed to calm the situation with impressive results, which saw them overtake Kotoko at the summit, and become champions of Ghana for the first time since 2009.

“This case [of Samuel Boadu moving to Hearts] is quite an interesting case. We didn’t really see him as a special figure per se. I remember I had a talk with him and during our discussions, I was convinced that this is somebody who knows exactly what he’s about and he can work,” Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe told Joy Sports.

“When he left his previous club, the day we were expecting him to start work at our end, he didn’t turn up so I was worried. I called him, I couldn’t get hold of him, [so] I asked someone to, and he [Boadu] assured me that he will be in at a particular time which he came. I think by then he was moving his items from Tarkwa to Kumasi en route to Accra,” Nyaho-Tamakloe said.

The revered football administrator said that Boadu impressed him and other board members from the onset so they gave him the needed support to succeed while quelling claims that leadership of the club interfere in the work of the technical team.

“When he came, what I noticed was that this is a disciplined guy who knows exactly what he’s about. So we gave him that chance and opportunity and he’s proven himself right. He listens. Prior to this, there have been a whole lot of accusations that directors have been dictating – it’s all lies, no director has enforced [at least not me]. If people say so, it’s a lie. Directors don’t dictate to the technical team. They might suggest, if you like, you take it if you don’t like, you don’t,” he added.

Hearts are expected to be crowned champions on Sunday when they play WAFA in Sogakope.