Karela United secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Hearts of Oak at the Aliu Mahama Stadium in Tamale on Saturday, handing the Phobians their first defeat of the 2026/27 Ghana Premier League season.
Zaidan Mohammed emerged as the hero, tapping home from close range two minutes from regulation time to settle a tightly contested encounter in favour of the home side.
The forward’s late strike capped a strong individual performance that earned him the Man of the Match award as Karela claimed their second victory of the campaign.
The result also extended Karela United’s impressive home record against Hearts of Oak, with the Pride and Passion now picking up four wins in their last seven home meetings against the Phobians.
Hearts struggled to impose themselves for long periods as Karela controlled much of the game and created the better opportunities at the Aliu Mahama Stadium.
Despite being under pressure, Hearts remained within touching distance of a point until Zaidan found the breakthrough in the closing stages.
The Phobians responded with greater urgency after falling behind and pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but Karela’s defence held firm to protect their advantage.
Karela Make Home Advantage Count
Zaidan explained after the match that the desire to secure maximum points was driven by the team’s need to make their home fixture count, particularly with another away game coming up.
Karela have endured difficulties on the road this season, losing both of their away matches, making Saturday’s home victory particularly important ahead of their next fixture away from Tamale.
The victory lifts Karela’s confidence as they continue their campaign, while Hearts will have to regroup quickly after suffering their first setback of the season.
Hearts head coach Nebojsa Kapor acknowledged that his team did not perform at their optimum level but maintained that the result did not reflect what he felt was a deserving outcome.
For Karela, the result provides another boost in their efforts to establish themselves as a difficult side to beat on home soil.
Hearts, meanwhile, face another away assignment next weekend when they travel to Kasoa to take on Dreams FC at the Tuba Astro Turf.
The Phobians will be seeking an immediate response as they look to bounce back from their first defeat of the campaign and return to winning ways.
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