Head Coach of Division One League side (DOL), Heart of Lions, Fatawu Salifu said the club is ready to face their next opponent in the last eight of the 2023 MTN FA Cup.
According to the sweat merchant, the prestigious competition remains a priority for his side, hence steadily progressing as they approach each game with a winning mentality.
“The MTN FA Cup is one of the important competitions in Ghana and we are taking and hoping to progress as a team; It’s very important for us as a team. We actually believe we will be ready to meet any team no matter the level of that club.”
Hearts of Lions advanced to the quarter-finals of the competition after a 2-0 victory over lower-tier side, MSK Zilina on Sunday at the Kpando Stadium.
Benson Kofi Yeboah and Abdul Razak Abdullah scored each to guarantee the two-time Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) Top 4 winners, a spot alongside 15 other clubs from the Premier and Division One leagues.
Speaking to the Times Sports yesterday, Coach Fatawu, who is a CAF License A holder, described his side as one with enough quality to face the likes of Asante Kotoko, Aduana Stars among others.
“We boast of enough quality in the team and by our performance in the Division One League, it shows we can face the Premier League clubs. When we are paired with any of these teams, I believe we have what it takes to eliminate them”, he said.
Speaking on whether to augment his team before the second transfer window shuts, the former Swedru All Blacks tactician admitted some departments would be strengthen after few players caught the eyes of the technical handlers.
“We actually discovered some few players and are working hard to get them into the team; at least to strengthen some departments in the team”, he added
Fatawu joined the Lions in August 2022 following an impressive campaign with the national U-20 team that won gold in the AFCON tournament in Mauritania in 2021.
He was retained as one of the assistants to former Hearts of Oak trainer, Samuel Boadu, who replaced Karim Zito as the new Black Satellites Coach.
Lions last participated in top-flight football after the 2015 season, but have kept seven sheets in the 2022/23 campaign, having won seven, lost two and drawn two.
The Kpando-based outfit currently sit top of Zone 3 chart with 23 points after 11 games and will lock horns with Uncle ‘T’ United in their next clash on Saturday, January 27 at home.
BY LINUS SIAW NARTEY