Hearts boot out Herbert

With only nine games left for the season to end, Accra Hearts of Oak have dissolved their technical bench and thrown out veteran Coach Herbert Addo and his assist, Dauda Lutterodt, in a desperate bid to stem the tide of unimpressive showings which have become the lot of the Phobians in recent times.

The Phobians are set to name former Amidaus Professional and Berekum Chelsea trainer, Tony Lokko, as Coach Addo’s successor before the end of the week.

According to a Hearts source, the club is also considering an option to sign on a foreign coach after the season.

At an emergency meeting Tuesday at the club’s secretariat in Accra, the management of Hearts, headed by its Managing Director, Gerald Ankrah, unanimously took the decision after it was convinced that the two had under-performed.

In their absence, goalkeeper’s coach, Eddie Ansah, and team manager, Sabhn Quaye, are to take charge of the team for their tricky Elite Cup duel against Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs at the Robert Mensah Stadium this afternoon.

A Hearts source told the Graphic Sports that the decision, which was taken in consultation with the board, was agreed by both parties and the two on the basis of mutual consent, but the two coaches are entitled to three months salary together with a compensation package.

“Indeed, management actually had had discussions with the two coaches and we all agreed to part ways mutually”, he stressed.

Only last season, the Phobians were forced to cough up nearly $40,000 for Coach David Duncan for wrongful termination of his contract.

This is the second time that the venerable Coach Addo is being fired as technical head of the Phobians. In 2004 he suffered a similar fate after guiding the team to a Premier League triumph, a move that cost the Phobians financially as he dragged the club to court for the wrongful dismissal.