Parliament has presented the 2026 Democracy Cup trophy to the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General William Agyapong, as part of a trophy tour of key state institutions ahead of Friday's clash between Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
A delegation from Parliament, led by Clerk to Parliament Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, visited the Military High Command at Burma Camp on Monday, August 24, 2026. The delegation included former Black Stars captain John Mensah, who serves as an ambassador for the competition, and football administrator Cudjoe Fianoo.
Speaking at the presentation, Djietror explained that Parliament decided to involve the military as the first point of call in this year's trophy tour, recognising the Ghana Armed Forces as an institution that has contributed to the nation's development across multiple sectors.
"We present the Democracy Cup to the CDS of the military high command. This is the first point of call from this year's trophy tour. We are saying that democracy has come to stay as a form of governance, life and any other form of endeavour," he said.
He added that the initiative seeks to leverage the values of tolerance and discipline found in football to promote the democratic agenda across Ghana.
"It has its own ills, but if we engage in it constructively and play by the rules of the game, we will definitely see its advancement. It requires tolerance and discipline, and we are leveraging these values in football to promote the democratic agenda. We are asking all Ghanaians to emulate this," Djietror said.
Lieutenant General William Agyapong expressed gratitude to Parliament for recognising the military as a stakeholder in Ghana's democratic process. He assured the delegation of the Armed Forces' full support for the event and confirmed that military personnel would be present at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Friday.
"Democracy thrives where there is peace, justice, equality, respect for the law and where people abide by law and order. As a military, we will continue to reaffirm our commitment to the Constitution and to maintaining the territorial integrity of Ghana," he said.
He added: "We will be at the stadium. You may not see us in numbers or in uniform because we also want to enjoy the game like every other Ghanaian, but we will be there to support this very noble initiative."
The trophy tour will continue throughout the week with visits to the National Commission for Civic Education, Ghana Police Service, Judicial Service, Electoral Commission, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, and the Office of the President.
The tour will culminate on Friday, August 28, when Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko renew their rivalry at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium. Asante Kotoko won the inaugural edition, while Hearts of Oak are the defending champions after beating Great Olympics last year. The main fixture will be preceded by curtain-raiser matches, including a Parliamentary XI versus Judiciary XI encounter.
