Absence of Afutu and Gladson Awako won’t affect Hearts against WAC – Neil Armstrong

Former Hearts of Oak Managing Director, Neil Armstrong Mortagbe believes the absence of midfield duo of Benjamin Afutu and Gladson Awako will not have any negative impact on the club ahead of their clash with Morocco giants, Wydad Athletic Club.

The Ghanaian giants set up the tie after elimination Guinean side CI Kamsar with a 2-0 win at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Hearts of Oak will have to beat their Moroccan counterparts to qualify to the money zone of the competition.

The rainbow boys will miss the service of Afutu who has travelled to complete a move to a club in Egypt whereas Awako who joined the club this summer is and Awako is yet to feature due to various reasons.

Despite the duo absence, Hearts of Oak defeated Guinean side CI Kamsar to progress to the next stage of the competition and according to Neil Armstrong Mortagbe, the pair absence won’t affect the club against WAC Morocco.

“Gladson Awako will be a very good addition to any club in Ghana and Afutu proved to be a very key part of our success story last season but as a person who has been in football for several years, I always say that you need to make the best or the most of what you have and so usually I don’t look at what we don’t have,” Mortagbe told GL Radio in China.

“It is about the coach to work with what we have. Without them Hearts defeated Kamsar so I don’t see why the confidence level that the team has today will not push them to have a good game against Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco.”

Hearts of Oak will host WAC of Morocco in Accra on October 17, with the return encounter scheduled to be honoured in Casablanca in a week time.