BY Issah Olegor
Accra Hearts of Oak, the oldest surviving football club, marked their 114th anniversary over the weekend —an extraordinary milestone that reflects more than a century of resilience, community spirit, and dominance in Ghanaian football.
Established on November 11, 1911, the club has grown from a small group of determined Accra youths into one of Africa’s most storied and decorated sports institutions.
The club’s creation was driven by a desire to challenge the Invincibles—Accra’s first football club formed in 1910 and based in James Town.
A group of energetic young men from Usher Town took up the challenge, guided by Ackom Duncan, a football enthusiast from Saltpond where the sport had taken root earlier.
Duncan, who became the club’s first captain and trainer, led Hearts to their first official outing on November 11, 1911, a date that has since become their official birthday.
Hearts’ early membership included pioneering names such as William Simeon Okraku, C.B. Nettey, J.T.O. Ankrah, J.A. Aryee, Darko Abbey, Dodoo Annan and others who laid the foundation for what would grow into Ghana’s most passionate football family.
The club formalised its structure in 1914 with the appointment of its first secretary, Captain Mark Nettey, and later Hansen Sackey, a respected supporter who played a guiding role. Despite internal challenges—including a breakaway faction in 1914—the club’s numbers continued to grow, leading to the formation of the Auroras in 1912 and the Dwarfs in 1914 as feeder teams.
In 1917, Hearts adopted the now-famous rainbow colours of red, yellow and blue, designed by T.F. Bruce Tagoe and imported from Manchester. The new kits debuted in a match against their early rivals, the Invincibles, which Hearts won by a lone goal.
That same year saw the election of their first chairman, S.Q. Nelson, who brought professional structure to the club.
Hearts’ competitive success began to flourish in 1922 when they won the inaugural Guggisberg Shield, part of the novelty Accra Football League founded two years earlier.
They went on to win the Shield six times in twelve years, cementing their status as a dominant force. A new generation of talent followed in 1939, including right winger Joe Ankrah, later Lt. Gen. J.A. Ankrah, who became Chairman of the National Liberation Council after the 1966 overthrow of President Kwame Nkrumah and eventually a life patron of the club.
By 1958, Hearts’ decades of development paid off when they won the first-ever National League title. Known affectionately as “The Phobians,” the club would go on to achieve numerous domestic titles and continental success, including their historic 2000 CAF Champions League triumph.
Their rivalry with Kumasi Asante Kotoko—another Ghanaian giant and Africa Cup winner—remains one of the fiercest on the continent.
The two sides met again last Sunday, on the eve of Hearts’ 114th anniversary, in yet another Super Clash. A lone penalty goal secured victory for Kotoko. According to historical data the win marked Kotoko’s 4th victory in their last five encounters with Hearts, and their 19th league win over Hearts since 1958.
Hearts hold 18 wins in that same period, with 26 matches ending in draws. The match was their 119th league meeting overall, with Kotoko now leading the head-to-head with 41 wins to Hearts’ 38.
