Hearts of Oak secured a 2-0 win against Saoura of Algeria in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup play-offs played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday.
The Ghanaian champions proved too strong for the Algerian side and recorded a 2-0 victory at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Hearts had been unimpressive in their last five games resulting in no wins but they looked a different side on Sunday, delivering a great performance.
From the onset, they showed no sign of being afraid of their opponents. Hearts took the game to them and were rewarded in the 17th minute.
Ibrahim Salifu applied the finishing touch following a brilliant team play. The move started from the back with Daniel Afriyie Barnieh providing the final ball for Salifu to score with a header.
Sensing they could lose heavily, Saoura revised their tactics and decided to sit deep and frustrate the Phobians.
It worked until the 71st minute when Agyenim Boateng added the second with a decent finish.
Three minutes later, Saoura were reduced to 10 men. Goalkeeper Zakaria Saida picked up a second booking.
Hearts could not capitalize on the numerical advantage to score the vital third goal.
The second leg is scheduled for next week and although Hearts have the advantage, they have to be at their best to progress.
