Former Hearts of Oak midfielder, Gladson Awako, has opened up about the factors that led to his departure from the club, citing internal dynamics and his growing influence as key reasons.
Awako, who previously played for Berekum Chelsea, joined Hearts of Oak in 2021 following an impressive stint with Great Olympics. During his time with the Phobians, he played a pivotal role in securing a Premier League title and two FA Cup trophies. However, his sudden exit in September 2023 left many fans shocked.
In an interview on Asempa FM’s Sports Nite, the U-20 World Cup winner explained that internal politics within the club played a significant part in his departure. He revealed that as his influence within the team grew, certain individuals within the club felt threatened by it.
“Hearts of Oak and Olympics are two different clubs. One of the clubs is political and the other is not. It got to a time they thought I was becoming too powerful so they had to get rid of me but there was no problem with me,” Awako said.
Awako attributed his growing influence at Hearts of Oak to the leadership roles he was entrusted with by then-coach Slavko Matic.
“The leadership roles I got from the coach gave me power and they felt if they should allow me, it wouldn’t help most of them so they got rid of me,” he added.
Since his departure from Hearts of Oak, Awako has returned to Great Olympics, where he is focused on helping the team secure promotion back to the top-flight league.
