Premier League: Hearts of Oak aim to tighten title grip as FC Samartex seek capital breakthrough on Friday

Hearts of Oak will look to strengthen their push for the 2025 Premier League title when they welcome FC Samartex 1996 to the University of Ghana Stadium on Boxing Day, Friday, December 26, with both sides set for a tense, closely contested and tactical battle in the capital.

The Phobians host the Timber giants in confident mood after grinding out a valuable goalless draw away to Aduana FC in Dormaa, traditionally one of the most difficult venues in the league. That result kept Mas-Ud Didi Dramani’s side firmly in the top four and underlined their reputation as one of the league’s most resilient outfits.

Hearts of Oak have picked up two wins, two draws and just one defeat in their last five league matches, keeping an impressive four clean sheets in that run. With 25 points from 15 games, they boast the league’s meanest defence, having conceded only six goals while scoring ten. Defensive solidity has been the bedrock of their title push.

Despite back-to-back 1–0 home wins over Vision FC and Nations FC, Hearts’ overall home form this season has been modest by their lofty standards. They have won three, drawn three and lost one at the Accra venue, scoring five goals and conceding three, numbers that place them among the league’s less dominant home sides. Nevertheless, the Phobians will be targeting a third consecutive home victory without conceding for the first time since January 2025.

History also favours the hosts. Hearts of Oak have never lost at home to FC Samartex 1996 in the league, recording one win and two goalless draws in three meetings since the 2022/23 season. Remarkably, the Timber giants are yet to score against the Phobians in any of those visits.

FC Samartex 1996 head into the clash on the back of a narrow but crucial 1–0 victory over Heart of Lions in Samreboi. While the performance was far from convincing, the result marked only their second win in six league matches (D2, L2) and lifted Christopher Ennin’s side to sixth place with 24 points, just one behind Hearts.

Samartex have quietly built one of the league’s strongest defensive units, conceding only nine goals in 15 matches—the third-best record so far—while scoring eleven. However, their away form remains a major concern. The Timber Giants are still without a win on the road this season, having drawn four and lost three of their seven away matches. Even more worrying is their attacking output away from home: just one goal scored and seven conceded.

As they make the long journey to Accra, Samartex will be desperate to snap their seven-game away winless run. Yet they face a daunting challenge against a Hearts of Oak side that has consistently shut them out in the capital.

GFA Communications