Accra Hearts of Oak will take a slender lead to Morocco for their second leg 2nd round qualifying tie in the CAF Champions League after the Phobians defeated WAC by 1-0 earlier today.

The Continental club masters are bidding to make a return to the group stages of the CAF Champions League for the first time since their last group stage appearance in 2006 and took giant strides in achieving that goal with their narrow victory today.

The Phobians began the game on the back foot as the visitors flew out of the blocks and mounted immense pressure on the Hearts goal.

Goalkeeper Richard Atta was called upon in the first five minutes as he needed to make a goal saving stop to deny the visitors from taking an early lead.

WAC’s pressure on the Hearts goal didn’t fall as they continued to lay seige on the Hearts penalty area but couldn’t break the dead lock with the defense of the Phobians standing tall.

Hearts, however, warmed themselves into the game in the last ten minutes of the First half and managed to get the opener after some fine passage of play.

A combination of Salifu Ibrahim and Isaac Mensah managed to cut the Wydad defense open and produce the game’s only goal as the former’s cross found the latter well placed in the box and he went ahead to finish with ease.

The second half resumed with nearly a repeat of events in the first half but Hearts held on to their slender lead as they limited their opponents attacking opportunities.

The Phobians were nearly dealt a heartbreak as Wydad found the back of the net late on in added time. The goal would however not count as the linesman’s flag would come to the home side’s rescue.

Hearts will feel hard done by the results as they were denied two penalties in a game where officiating wasn’t entirely apt.

Hearts will travel to Cassablanca for the second leg tie in a week’s time.