The odds are against Hearts of Oak in the clash AS Real Bamako in the CAF Confederation Cup this weekend especially after losing big at the end of the first leg of the tie.
The Ghana Premier League club, fortunately, received a free pass from CAF in the first round of the preliminary round.
In the second round, the Phobians are facing AS Real Bamako from Mali, a test the Ghanaian club is currently losing.
Last weekend, the Accra-based club was in Mali and honoured the first leg of the encounter.
Although the Phobians were decent, the team could not secure a good result and suffered 3-0 defeat at the end of the game.
That disappointing result meant that Hearts of Oak have now been left with a herculean task to deal with.
Putting together the performance of the Ghanaian club and the team’s performance in the Ghana Premier League before it was suspended, it is difficult to say if Hearts of Oaks stands the chance of turning around the tie.
The club must push tomorrow and hope that their fans will be present in their numbers to inspire them on.
As things stand, Hearts of Oak must win by at least three goals margin to have any chance of sailing through.
To be safe, Hearts of Oak must try and score four goals in 90 minutes.
Ahead of the game, what is certain is that the club is filled with a lot of hope and belief.
Speaking after the team’s friendly match in midweek, coach David Ocloo revealed his approach against AS Real Bamako, insisting that his team can get the job done.
“Scoring six goals for sometime now we have not been scoring and getting six today is a morale booster for Sunday’s match. It was hard to take but they (ASR Bamako) were about to score three but we can also do the same on Sunday.
"We played more attacking football out there to try and get a point or win it but it didn’t work. But playing at home I think we have to go more direct and try to win it,” Coach Ocloo said.
Meanwhile, ex-Hearts of Oak poster boy, Bernard Don Bortey has indicated that he is confident the team will overturn the defeat against AS Real Bamako last weekend.
“I am not giving up because this is Hearts of Oak,” he told Asempa FM.
Sunday's game is scheduled to be played at the Accra Sports Stadium. The match will kick off at 15:00gmt.