Hearts of Oak have reached the finals of the 2020/21 MTN FA Cup after mauling Medeama 3-0 in Cape Coast on Sunday night.
For the Phobians the double dream is on and they will now meet AshantiGold SC in the final which will be staged on August 8, 2021.
Benjamin Afutu started the riot with a rasping header from inside the box in the first-half before Isaac Mensah latched on to a free supper offered by the hapless Frank Boateng before Afriyie Barnieh sealed the win from the spot.
Hearts of Oak coach Samuel Boadu dropped Salifu Ibrahim to the bench as he names Isaac Mensah, Patrick Razak and Caleb Amankwah in his starting XI for the clash.
Medeama coach Yaw Preko named Vincent Atinga and Ali Ouattara as the central defensive pairing while the established Amed Toure benched Prince Opoku Agyemang in attack. The nimble-footed Godfred Kwadwo Asamoah also got a start. Rashid Nortey was dropped from the squad entirely while former WAFA attacker Zakaria Mumuni was named on the bench.
Benjamin Arthur escaped booking in the early moments of the game after the former Elmina Sharks midfielder went in with a silly tackle on winger Patrick Razak.
Benjamin Afutu headed Hearts of Oak into the lead on the 12th minute mark. A beautiful switch of play from Raddy Ovouka found Frederick Ansah Botchway who laid an inviting pass to Fatawu Mohammed. The skipper weighed the ball for Isaac Mensah and the young striker tossed in the cross for Afutu to head beyond Frank Boateng in the Medeama post.
After the break Hearts continued to press and dominated their opponents as Afutu and Amankwah bossed the midfield. In one moment of brilliance Razak found Ansah around the central left and the orchestra twisted his man inside out before calibrating a ball which broke the defensive lines of the Medeama backline before the innocuous ball beat the on-rushing Frank Boateng. And, Isaac Mensah outpaced him around the area to finish into the yawning net.
Hearts were not done yet as they continued to press for the killer and it duly arrived when Amankwah laid a defensive-splitting pass through channel to find Barnieh. The attacker beat the Boateng in a 1v1 challenge and the goalkeeper shoved and felled him for a penalty.
Boateng saved the resultant kick from the spot but he was adjudged to have moved off the line before the kick was taken. Afriyie went for the retake and planted the ball beyond the goalkeeper for the third goal.
Ali Ouattara went into the books for fouling Daniel Afriyie in an off-the-ball incident.
Hearts came close to scoring the fourth but the Medeama spot firm to deny them.
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