“Pressure from supporters doesn’t make me panic” – Osei-Asibey

Accra Hearts of Oak/Facebook

Hearts of Oak defender Kelvin Osei Asibey says he has never allowed criticism and pressure from supporters to disrupt his focus on the field of play.

The hard tackling centre-back was in the thick of events when the Phobians were held to a goalless draw at the Accra Sports Stadium in a Week 30 derby from the Ghana Premier League against Asante Kotoko.

His heroics earned him the Man-of-the-Match award and he was overjoyed at the accolade.

“I give thanks to almighty God for how far he has brought, the game was fantastic and amazing and it [the result] is OK."

Asibey, who joined the Phobians from Techiman Eleven Wonders, admits that the team was not happy with the stalemate but accepted the outcome in good faith.

“We are not OK [with the result] because we want to be in a better position but unfortunately we drew with them [Kotoko] but in football, you win, you lose or you draw so we drew and we accept and we will go and do our homework very well and look up to the next game,” Osei Asibey said after the game.

The 24-year-old has ruled out any form of pressure when under harsh criticisms from the club’s supporters. His costly mistake in the first leg clash ensured Kotoko defeated Hearts of Oak by 1-0 at the Baba Yara Stadium in December 2024.

After receiving massive backlash, Asibey says he has learnt from the mistake and is ready to right the wrongs moving into the future.

“Kelvin Osei Asibey has been one player who always plays his best, he doesn’t allow pressure to make him panic so it is normal, sometimes mistakes are part of football and so when you make mistakes, you learn out of the mistake so what the fans do to me, it motivates me to play better."

Osei Asibey has played 25 matches, scoring one goal in the process for the record Ghana FA Cup holders this season.