Hearts of Oak will face a difficult test on Sunday when they travel to the Nsenkyire Sports Arena to take on Samartex, with both sides targeting maximum points as the Ghana Premier League title race gathers momentum.
The Phobians head into the encounter on the back of an emphatic 3-0 victory over Heart of Lions at the University of Ghana Stadium.
The result kept Hearts within touching distance of league leaders Medeama, with head coach Nebojša Kapor eager to maintain his team's winning momentum.
Hearts have shown significant improvement in attack under the Serbian tactician, scoring 12 goals and conceding just three in the league so far.
Their performance against Heart of Lions highlighted their growing attacking threat, with improved movement and well-rehearsed set-piece routines creating several problems for their opponents.
However, Kapor believes his team still has areas to address, particularly in defensive organisation.
The Hearts coach admitted he was dissatisfied with aspects of his team's tactical execution in the first half against Heart of Lions and has challenged his players to deliver a more complete performance against Samartex.
The Phobians will, however, be without captain and goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, who has joined the Black Stars for international duty ahead of the Somalia qualifiers.
His absence is expected to provide an opportunity for reserve goalkeeper Sharif Shuaib to feature.
Samartex, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back after suffering a 2-1 away defeat to Bechem United last weekend.
The Timber Giants have been impressive at home this season, winning four of their five matches at the Nsenkyire Sports Arena and drawing the other.
That record will give them confidence as they prepare to host a Hearts side that has struggled to maintain consistency away from home.
Although Hearts rank second in the away standings, they have collected seven points from a possible 15 and lost to newly promoted Debibi United in their most recent away fixture.
Samartex will also be without left-back Isaac Afful, who is away on international duty with Ghana.
The recent head-to-head record between the two clubs suggests Sunday's encounter could be closely contested.
Both teams have recorded two victories in their last six meetings since October 2023, with the remaining two matches ending in draws.
Their most recent meeting, on May 17, 2026, ended in a 1-0 victory for Samartex. Both sides have scored three goals each across their last six encounters.
Hearts will be hoping their recent victory provides the momentum needed to secure another positive result, but Samartex's impressive home form could make the contest a difficult assignment for the visitors.
With both teams showing defensive resilience this season, Sunday's encounter is expected to be a closely fought contest.
