Hearts of Oak head coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani has expressed dissatisfaction with the timing of the upcoming 2025 GHALCA Top 4 tournament, warning that players are at risk of fatigue as they are still in the early stages of preseason.
The competition is set to begin on Wednesday, August 20, with the Phobians facing Heart of Lions at 6 p.m.
The fixture comes just three days after Hearts beat the same side 2-0 to win the 2025 Homowo Cup, raising concerns about player workload.
Dramani, who was appointed at the end of last season on a two-year deal to replace Aboubakar Ouattara, believes players are not ready for the demands of full 90-minute matches and has urged organizers to permit more than the standard three substitutions. "I think that it is a very good program for the football industry, but the timing of it is worrisome," Dramani said after the Homowo Cup. "We need to try to alter the substitutions so that, in this [Heart of Lions] game for instance, if you have just worked for two weeks, you don't go in for a high-profile game.
