Hearts of Oak midfielder Emmanuel Nettey has said the club is targeting a statement victory against Wydad Club Athletic (WAC).
The Ghana champions will take on the Moroccan giants Sunday in the first leg of the playoffs to the group phase of the 2021/22 Caf Champions League at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Ahead of the crunch game that many fans and pundits alike are seeing the Phobians as underdogs, Nettey sees it as an opportunity to announce the 21-time Ghana champions’ absence from the competition.
The 2000 African champions last competed in the tournament in 2009, the last time they also won the Ghana Premier League.
“We are going out there all guns blazing,” he said.
“We know we have been out of the competition for a very long time.
“We are back and we want to prove a point not just to WAC but to the whole of Africa that we did not make the progression by fluke.”
Hearts of Oak defeated Guinea’s CI Kamsar 2-0 in the first preliminary round to set up the clash with WAC.
The Confederation of African Football has approved 2,000 fans to attend the game on Sunday.
