Sulley Muntari reveals why he left Hearts of Oak and rejected Asante Kotoko

After contributing and playing a big role in Accra Hearts of Oak’s FA Cup success, helping the club to qualify for the 2022/2O23 CAF Confederations Cup, Sulley Muntari refused to extend his contract with the Phobians.

The failure of renewal talks ended Sulley Muntari’s six-month stint with Hearts.

The former AC Milan and Inter Milan has finally spoken out about why he turned down Hearts’ contract renewal.

According to Muntari, he did not want to disgrace himself and put a dent on his legacy after his suggestions on how to improve the squad for their African campaign proved futile.

Speaking to Dan Kwaku Yeboah TV, Muntari who was close to joining Hearts’ rivals Asante Kotoko after failed talks with the Phobians said both clubs did not want to build their team the European way.

“Yeah, I had a few talks with them(Kotoko) I spoke to some board members because I wanted to help them in Africa. (But) I was with Hearts of Oak at that time. My contract had run out and I was talking with them to build a very, very strong team. I didn’t want to go and disgrace myself in the African campaign. If you qualify for the CAF Champions League or any other CAF competition or even Europe, you prepare for that. You augment the squad that you qualified with some good players and build the team.”

“So I was talking with Hearts to build the team but the management had different ideas. And if someone has a different idea, although you tell them to do stuff, if they don’t want to do it, you don’t push it. I’ll tell you the truth, I didn’t want to go and disgrace myself. And I know I’ve really worked hard in terms of football, so for me to come and let some little things wipe all the work that I’ve done, no. I won’t do it, no. So I was talking with Kotoko about the same(thing),” he added.

He clarified that his attempt to join Kotoko was not because Hearts failed to adopt his suggested models.

“It is not because Hearts didn’t do as I said that’s why I wanted to go to Kotoko, no. But even if it’s second division, it’s the same mentality I would come up with, so you can build a strong team. Because the moment you build a strong team, the following year you can sell two or three players then you get money then you build the team again. Most of the teams we played in Europe that’s what they do.”

Both Hearts of Oak and Kotoko got kicked out of their respective African campaigns after their first games.

Asante Kotoko lost 4-3 on penalties to Burkinabe side RC Kadiogo in the first round of the CAF Champions League while Hearts lost 3-1 on aggregate to Malian
side, AS Bamako in the CAF Confederations Cup.