In Hearts� Centenary: The Miracle Of El-Wak Occurred

They were down and out even before they kicked a ball but the wonderful �Never Say Die� spirit of Hearts of Oak was magnificently evoked. After suffering a 5-2 away thrashing at the hands of Zambian side Mufulira Wanderers in the first leg of the semi finals of the 1977 African Cup, all odds were stuck against the Phobians who had to honour their return home encounter away from their favoured Accra Sports Stadium due to renovation works in preparation for the 1978 Nations Cup. Instead, the match was played at a relatively smaller El-Wak Stadium in Accra. Hearts needed to score three unanswered goals which they did but it was the circumstances leading to the goals that made this day a very special and memorable one. With 20 minutes to go, the score board still read 0-0 and it was right about that time that schemer Mohammed Ahmed Polo decided to wake from his 70-minute slumber. His complete seizure of the midfield with deft touches and precise passing provided the assist for a Peter Lamptey goal and an Anas Seidu brace to send the stadium alight. Hearts progressed to the finals on the away goals rule after the aggregate score was tied at 5-5. The Phobians however lost out on the chance to win their first continental title in the grand finale when they lost 4-2 on aggregate to Guinean side Haifa FC but that year will be forever remembered for the semi final tie dubbed �The Miracle of El-Wak�. Phobia�Never Say Die.