Defeat to Gold Stars a wake up call to my swollen-headed players – Lions coach Bashir Hayford

Head coach of Heart of Lions, Bashir Hayford, has described his teams 31 defeat to Bibiani Gold Stars in the Ghana Premier League on Monday as an important wake-up call for his players, following what he believes was a spell of complacency after their impressive start to the season.

The Lions came into the Week 6 encounter at Duns Park on Monday, October 20, unbeaten in their first five league games of the 2025/26 campaign, sitting near the top of the table and full of confidence.

They began the match brightly, dominating the opening 15 minutes and creating several good opportunities, but their failure to convert those chances proved costly. Gold Stars gradually found their rhythm and took control, eventually cruising to a 31 victory in front of their home supporters.

Speaking after the match, Coach Bashir Hayford admitted that the result was fair and suggested that a first defeat was inevitable at some point. However, he emphasized that the setback could serve as a valuable lesson for his players.

We have not been beaten for five matches, and today on somebodys soil they have beaten us. That is football, Hayford said in his post-match interview.

Its going to be a wake-up call. After all, some people can beat us because some of the players have become swollen-headed. We are going back and will prepare well for the next game.

Despite the defeat, Heart of Lions remain fourth in the Premier League standings with 11 points.