On This Hearts Day…… 16th November 1958
Accra Hearts of Oak confirmed its status as the Premier Club of Ghana by winning the first Ghana Premier League title after the country’s independence.
After winning the first nationwide league organized in the Gold Coast in 1956, the Phobians proved their pre-Independence supremacy, having won seven titles (Six Guggisberg Shields and and one Gold Coast League), was no fluke as they comfortably scaled their way to the Premier title a year after Ghana’s independence.
The 1958 league season was contested for by eight clubs namely Cape Coast duo, Ebusua Dwarfs and Venomous Vipers; Western Regional sides Eleven Wise and Sekondi Hasaacas; Ashanti Region’s Kotoko and Cornerstones, and Greater Accra sides Hearts and Olympics.
Hearts finished the season with 10 wins from a possible 14, drawing one and losing 3 other games. The Phobians scored 38 goals and conceded 20 throughout the season.
The season’s most memorable ties came against Kotoko in Kumasi with the game ending abruptly due to crowd trouble despite Hearts leading 4-3 kind courtesy of goals from Ofei Dodoo, Charles Kumi Gyamfi, and Nii Dowuona.
Unperturbed, Hearts returned to Kumasi again and mortified Kotoko 5-2 in their backyard when the League Management Committee ordered a replay nine days before the club’s 47th birthday.
Hearts finished the season, two points clear of Kotoko, and one ahead of second placed Cornerstones.
Group Picture: Oduro Arthur (Manager), C.D Arthur, Annang Nmai, Anum Okine, Addoquaye Laryea, Attata, Addo Odametey, Seth Adjei, Ofei Dodoo, Albert Oteng, C.K Gyamfi, H.P Nyemetei (Chairman), Adu-Darko, Agyiri-Fynn, Otto-Odametey.