Afranie laid foundation for Hearts’ success — Oku

A former Administrative Manager of Hearts of Oak, Ashford Tettey Oku, has described the death of Emmanuel Kwasi Afranie as a big loss to the Phobian family and Ghana Football as a whole.

Coach Afranie died  last Wednesday when an ambulance conveying him from Accra to Kumasi was involved in an accident along the Suhum stretch of the highway. 

Paying  to Afranie, aka ‘Coach hene’, Mr Oku, who doubles as the chairman of the Premier league Board (PLB), attributed Hearts’ African conquest in 2000 and 2001 to the solid foundation laid by Coach Afranie following his appointment by the Ato Ahwoi Board in 1996.

That was after a first stint between 1981-82 when he succeeded Coach Joe Ghartey, amidst protests from Hearts fans that he (Afranie) was pro-Kotoko. “From September 3, 1996 to 1998, the Board of Directors under Ato Ahwoi engaged him to succeed J.E. Sarpong. Two things emerged from his second stint with Hearts - a trophy famine was halted with the FA Cup and League trophies in that order.

“There was also the successful identification of the building blocks for the most stable and successful Hearts team of all times,” Oku recalled.

According to him that foundation was successively improved upon by coaches Sam Amarteifio, Fred Osam-Duodu and finally Jones Attuquayefio, resulting in Hearts’ continental supremacy in 2000/2001. 

“It was a wonderful working relationship between the two of us; his seniority and pedigree notwithstanding,” Mr Oku noted.

“How are the mighty fallen? May he rest in peace,”