Everyone may be talking about Hearts’ only goal during their preliminary Champions League clash with Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco. But it was the performance of the defenders that was essential to the team's success.

The likes of Mohammed Alhassan and Robert Addo Sowah have long been undervalued and overshadowed by the victory of the team.

The fans have been fixated on Hearts’ new signings, Salim, Boateng and Enock Asubonteng.

But if you watched the Hearts defense that had Alhassan and Robert you would have witnessed Mohammed’s defensive masterclass. He played a vital role in the side's 1-0 win over WAC. Mohammed’s performance over the period have been praised because his signature is on the team and his motivation is to continue to do well. In the team’s last match against Kamsar he showed that he is the real deal in Ghana when you talk about defense and it's safe to say he can't be ignored anymore. 

A fan who could not hide his joy and appreciation of Mohammed and Robert’s performance confessed that their performance gives him “joy”. He said: I have joy. They are exceptional players. When they are under pressure, they are able to calm nerves with how they deal with situations”.

The match was played with few supporters way below the 25% we asked for. The fans play a major role in every game.

The midfielders can not be overlooked considering the fact that they played a major role in the victory of the Phobians. The performance of Nettey, Ansah and Salifu helped in the victory. 

In the first fifteen minutes of the game, the opponents dominated the game and it looked like they were going to score but for the timely intervention of goalkeeper, Richard Attah and the defenders, Robert Sowah and Mohammed Alhassan the outcome would have been different. 

Salifu was on fire the whole afternoon and it was one of his crosses that was delivered into the box that resulted in our only goal. In the 41st minute, a well delivered cross was well connected by Isaac Mensah to give Hearts a slim victory. This lead going into the second leg will be very crucial in determining our progress into the group stage.

We had our share of bad officiating from Referee Carvalho and his assistants and it had some effect on the performance of the team. 

As the team prepares for the second leg Preliminary qualifiers the main concern for the team is to get fair officiating on the day. 

Coach Boadu is still building his team and has reiterated that he will want to build a team that is able to play possessive football and be able to deliver when called upon.