Togbe Afede explains Hearts of Oak's 'ill-planned' trip to Algeria

JS Saoura trash Hearts of Oak in Confederations Cup

Hearts of Oak fails to make Confederations Cup group stage

Hearts board chair insists CAFCC exit has nothing to do with flights

Hearts of Oak's executive board chairman, Togbe Afede XIV has explained the club's most talked about trip to Algeria to play JS Soura in the CAF Confederations Cup in November 2021.

The board chairman has revealed that the club had no relevant options but to use a complicated route for their Confederations cup second leg game against Sauora.

Hearts of Oak per their travelling arrangement went through Abidjan, to Istanbul, before transiting to Algiers. Upon arrival in Algiers, the team had a day rest before flying to Ocran and completed the travelling hustle by land to Bachar.

The club was heavily criticised by Ghanaians football enthusiasts for arranging a hectic travelling schedule for the players ahead of an important fixture.

"A lot of those were born out of ignorance. There were difficult options but more importantly in this COVID era, flights have been disrupted, most airlines have cut down on the scheduled flights. It is not easy. Let me also add that the option of chatter is not as simple as people think," Togbe Afede explained in an audio aired on Kumasi-based Angel FM.

"A chatter to Algeria will require a minimum of $270,000 and people are not really aware of the reality. When we went to Algeria, except that we had to spend a day in Algiers before going on the third day to Bechar so it wasn't as long as it's been presented. Our inability to go over that hurdle has nothing to do with the duration of the flight", Togbe said.

Hearts of Oak lost 4-0 in the game that was played on Sunday, December 5. Thus, the Phobians exited the competition with a 4-2 defeat on aggregate, having won the first leg 2-0.