The Dagaaba and Frafra communities in Accra-Tema return to the El-Wak Stadium in Accra on Saturday, September 5, for the 29th edition of the Dagaaba-Frafra Friendly Fun Games, with more than sporting bragging rights at stake.
Under the theme “Unity in Diversity: The Dagaaba-Frafra model for Peaceful Co-existence,” this year’s festival celebrates a relationship that has grown into a national calendar event in Accra.
The origins of the modern games are traced to 1995, when a Dagaaba-Frafra football match was played and televised on GTV. By 1999, the joint sporting activities had become a popular annual jamboree at El-Wak.
Read also: Dagaaba, Frafra to battle for ‘puppy’ trophy in unity games on Saturday at El Wak
Over nearly three decades, the Games have strengthened friendships, encouraged cultural exchange and provided a peaceful outlet for their traditional joking relationship. As the 2026 Planning Committee outlined in a press release signed by Secretary Philip Atinga, the relationship “has hitherto been informal and taken for granted, but which we have nurtured and developed to become a National Calendar event in Accra.”
This year’s programme features men’s and women’s football, volleyball, tug-of-peace, sack race, lime-and-spoon race, senior citizens’ penalty kicks, cultural displays and exhibition of Dagaaba and Frafra traditional food and drinks – including the much-cherished delicacy of dog meat.
As one of the Games’ distinctive traditions, the overall winner will take home a puppy as the prize. The dog reflects the legendary “missing dog head” story behind their joking relationship. It solidifies the event’s reputation as a platform for unity and heritage among indigenes of the Upper East and Upper West regions living in the Accra–Tema metropolis.
The Games have attracted influential national figures. President John Dramani Mahama has graced and supported the event, including the 25th edition in 2022, while former Vice-Presidents, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and Aliu Mahama, have supported the celebrations.
From chiefs and MPs to ministers and senior public officials, the gathering has grown into a celebration of unity among Dagaaba and Frafra indegenes, far beyond Accra and Tema environs. In 2026, the real prize remains bigger than the puppy: sustaining a model of peaceful coexistence for another generation of Ghanaians together – through sport
