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0 It is the final week of May and Hearts of Oak, fresh from a listless, life-sucking stalemate with Karela United, had moved on from Aboubakar Ouattara.
They were in what many, at least Maxwell Konadu and his sympathizers, believed to be the final stages of his negotiation to become Hearts of Oak’s new Head coach.
Even though the finances of the deal were yet to be concluded, Konadu had been made aware of the threshold Hearts were working with.
The last conversation he had with Hearts, was in May. It ended with an understanding that Hearts would review his terms and revert.
Finances aside, Konadu had made it clear that he would not work with a technical director when it was suggested that Aboubakar Ouattara could be that person.
When Hearts informed Konadu that there would be no permanence to the Technical Director role, they meant it.
Ouattara signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Hearts in February 2024. That means there is still a year and a month remaining on his contract.
Hearts, who were already sweating over a $70,000 judgment awarded against them by the GFA’s Player Status Committee, were wary of terminating Ouattara’s appointment and risking another hefty compensation.
They would rather keep Ouattara as Technical Director and let him go in July 2026.
While Heart’s position on Ouattara made business sense, Konadu’s was also reasonable.
Why sack a non-performing coach only to install him as the supervisor to his successor?
If he was not good enough to retain his job, how did he suddenly become the boss?
Ouattara or not, Konadu’s entourage believed the former Black Stars assistant coach had the job in the bag.
They were so confident that they made sure their friends in the media had the full dossier, including Konadu’s insistence on not working with a Technical Director.
To lend some credibility to what, at the time, seemed nothing more than rumors, Konadu went to watch Hearts train. He made sure to be seen talking to Patrick Razak, who was training with the club after agreeing to rejoin the club.
Even though he denies it, the former Ghana assistant coach wanted the world to know that he had the job and was already getting familiar with his soon-to-be new working environment.
Meanwhile, the man handling the negotiations for Hearts was a stickler for discretion.
That leak was not taken lightly.
That moment of indiscretion had just given Hearts the excuse to push out the boat for the other candidate: Mas-Ud Didi Dramani.
Justified or not, the experience left Konadu quite upset.
It is the second time in three years that Hearts had taken a French leave from the negotiation table.
In 2023, Konadu gave his word to replace Slavko Matic as Hearts coach, only for the Phobians to leave him in the lurch.
So when he met Braimah Akanbi and Vincent Sowah Odotei on behalf of Hearts of Oak, he was wary of being burnt twice. Unfortunately for him, his worst fears have come to pass.
Some day, Konadu may be a third time lucky. Or a fourth. Who knows?
For now, Didi Dramani is the beneficiary of Odotei’s ”ruthlessness.”
Just like Konadu, he is a former Kotoko coach.
Just like Konadu, he won the league with Kotoko. Even better, he did it twice.
Just like Konadu, he is a former assistant coach of the Black Stars.
And just like Konadu, Didi Dramani has coached the Black Galaxies.
Unlike Konadu, Didi Dramani did not appear to have an entrenched position on the subject of Ouattara. He had similarly expressed an unwillingness to work under Ouattara even if for a month.
But he was happy to give Hearts time to sort out the conundrum.
Despite his extensive experience, which includes a stint as assistant coach of Danish side Nordsjælland, Dramani’s wage demands were understood to be within reasonable limits.
Dramani has got the job Konadu wanted and had advertised was his.
His first assignment would be the President’s Cup and a day later, the Eko International Cup in Nigeria.
While he focuses on that, Hearts will try to find the fiscal space to compensate Ouattara and move him on.
Sources at the club have told JoySports that a resolution to the situation will be announced this week.
