Accra City Invitational 2026: Hearts of Oak win 4-3 on penalties

Hearts of Oak defeated Swedru All Blacks 4-3 on penalties after their Accra City Invitational Tournament opener finished 2-2 at the Hearts Africa Academy Complex on Friday. The result gave Hearts a winning start to the pre-season competition.

Neither side managed to settle the contest during the 90 minutes. The teams remained level at 2-2 at the final whistle, sending the match to a shootout to determine the winner.

Hearts of Oak converted four penalties, while All Blacks scored three. That margin decided a close contest in which both teams looked to play on the front foot and create an early advantage in the tournament.

The victory marks the beginning of Hearts of Oak’s preparation for the 2026/27 football season. All Blacks are also using the Accra-based competition to build match readiness before the new campaign begins next month.

The tournament opened earlier on Friday with Port City FC recording a 1-0 victory over Vision FC. Hearts of Oak’s success means the club moved through its first fixture with a shootout win, while All Blacks began their campaign with a defeat despite holding their opponents to a draw in normal time.

The Accra City Invitational Tournament is providing the participating clubs with competitive fixtures during their preparations. For Hearts, the 4-3 result offers an opening victory after a match that could not be separated across the regulation 90 minutes.