Second place is not good enough for Hearts of Oak – Abdul Karim

Hearts of Oak midfielder Abdul Karim insists finishing second is never an acceptable target for the club, declaring that winning the Ghana Premier League remains their ambition every season.The Phobians are currently second on the league table with 20 points, just one behind leaders Medeama, after 10 matches.Karim believes the club's stature and expectations from its supporters demand that the players always compete for the top position.He stressed that both the playing body and the supporters expect nothing less than the league title whenever Hearts participate in a competition."If Hearts of Oak is participating in a competition, you can't say our aim is to finish second. Every time, we must aim to be number one," he said."As long as Hearts of Oak is participating, both the players and the supporters expect that we will win the league."The Accra-based side have made a positive start to the campaign after improving their home form, winning four of their five matches at home without conceding.Their latest performance was particularly impressive, as they recorded a 3-0 victory over Heart of Lions, with Karim earning the Man of the Match award.Hearts will now turn their attention to Sunday's trip to the Nsenkyire Sports Arena, where they face Samartex in a matchday 11 fixture.A victory could strengthen their position in the title race and potentially take them to the top of the standings, depending on Medeama's result.