Hearts of Oak climbed to the top of the Ghana Premier League table after recording a narrow 1-0 victory over Basake Holy Stars at the University of Ghana Stadium on Friday.
The Phobians secured their third consecutive league win under head coach Nebojša Kapor, with Martin Karkari scoring a spectacular goal to settle a tightly contested Matchday Eight encounter.
Having beaten Vision FC and FC Port City in their previous two outings, Hearts approached the fixture determined to maintain their winning momentum and strengthen their position in the title race.
The hosts enjoyed the better spells of possession and created more goalscoring opportunities, registering 17 shots compared to the visitors’ seven.
However, Basake Holy Stars defended resolutely and frustrated their opponents for large periods, hoping to exploit opportunities on the counterattack.
Hearts came close to opening the scoring when Ransford Mensah unleashed a powerful free-kick that struck the post, leaving the hosts searching for a breakthrough.
Their persistence eventually paid off through Karkari, who produced a moment of individual brilliance to separate the two sides.
The attacking midfielder showed excellent composure to create space with a series of clever movements before connecting with a superb volley that flew past the goalkeeper and into the net.
The strike proved decisive, handing Hearts all three points and extending their winning run to three matches.
The victory takes the Phobians to the summit of the league table after eight matches, while their defensive solidity remains another encouraging sign, having kept clean sheets in each of their last three victories.
Kapor’s side will now look to build on their impressive run as they seek to maintain their position at the top of the standings.
For Basake Holy Stars, the defeat extended their difficult run on the road. Despite their disciplined defensive display, they were unable to prevent Hearts from securing the victory.
Holy Stars have maintained an impressive record at home but continue to struggle away from their own supporters, having lost all their away matches this season.
Hearts will next face Debibi United as they seek to extend their winning streak and consolidate their position at the top of the table.
Basake Holy Stars, meanwhile, will return home to host Dreams FC, hoping to bounce back from the defeat and preserve their strong home form.
