Accra Hearts of Oak swept aside Berekum Chelsea 4-0 at the University of Ghana Stadium on Sunday, ending a decade-long wait for an opening-day victory and delivering an immediate statement under new head coach Nebojsa Kapor.
Returnee striker John Antwi Duku struck twice before half-time, while Ivorian debutant Mamadou Kader Kourouma and defender Mohammed Ali added late goals as the Phobians surged to the top of the Ghana Premier League on the opening weekend of the 2026/27 season.
It was Hearts’ first victory on match day one since 2016 — but the scale and authority of the performance carried even greater significance. Four goals, a clean sheet and important contributions from new and returning players provided compelling early evidence of progress under Kapor’s new technical direction.
Hearts imposed themselves from the opening whistle, dominating possession and pinning Chelsea inside their own half. Their aggressive start produced its reward inside five minutes.
Enterprising left-back Ransford Mensah found space on the flank and delivered a teasing cross that triggered chaos inside the visitors’ penalty area. Chelsea twice cleared the ball off the line, but Antwi reacted quickest to scramble it home from close range in his first competitive appearance since returning to the capital club.
Chelsea gradually found a route back into the contest and fashioned two opportunities through captain John Attuquaye. His curling free-kick from just outside the Hearts penalty area sailed over the crossbar in the 16th minute. Three minutes later, the former Legon Cities captain broke through for a one-on-one with goalkeeper Benjamin Asare but again failed to keep his effort down.
Those misses proved costly as Hearts quickly regained control.
Raphael Amponsah almost doubled the advantage in the 28th minute with a curling drive from outside the penalty area, but former Hearts goalkeeper Eric Ofori Antwi stretched to tip the ball over the bar. 
From Amponsah’s inswinging corner, Mohammed Ali found himself unmarked on the goal line but somehow headed it over.
Hearts’ pressure eventually told again in the 38th minute after an outstanding piece of work from recruit Alex Banso. The former Namogo FC player collected the ball on the left, beat two defenders and floated a measured cross towards Antwi, who directed a close-range header beyond Ofori Antwi to give the Phobians a commanding half-time cushion.
Chelsea head coach Kwaku Danso responded five minutes after the restart with three substitutions in an attempt to alter the course of the contest. His side continued searching for a breakthrough, but Hearts defended with discipline and carried a persistent threat on the counterattack through Amponsah and Banso.
Amponsah nearly added a third in the 70th minute after weaving through the Chelsea defence, but his powerful effort flew narrowly over the crossbar.
Kapor introduced Kourouma with 10 minutes remaining, and the Ivorian required only six minutes to announce himself. Mensah again supplied the ammunition, delivering another precise cross for the debutant to head home in the 86th minute.
There was still time for Hearts to compound Chelsea’s misery. Amponsah was brought down inside the penalty area in stoppage time after another driving run into dangerous territory. Ali assumed responsibility and calmly converted from the spot, making amends for his earlier miss and completing the rout.
One opening-weekend victory cannot define a season, but this was considerably more than a routine three points. Hearts ended a damaging 10-year opening-day sequence, introduced their recruits with immediate impact and showed the attacking conviction their supporters have long demanded.
