The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has officially received the 2026 Democracy Cup trophy ahead of the much-anticipated clash between Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on August 28.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Speaker Bagbin highlighted the unique nature of Ghana's democratic journey and stressed the important role football can play in promoting national unity, social cohesion and civic education. He described the Democracy Cup as a platform that has grown from strength to strength and has now gone beyond Ghana's borders to the global stage.
"We've now gone beyond the borders of Ghana. We've gone beyond the continent of Africa, and we are now on the global scene," he said.
Sunderland partnership announced
The Speaker announced a new partnership involving Ghana and English Premier League side Sunderland, under which the "Visit Ghana" tourism campaign will feature prominently on the front of Sunderland's jersey during the 2026/27 English Premier League season.
The partnership is aimed at leveraging the global reach of English football to promote Ghana as a leading tourism destination and attract more visitors to the country.
Speaker Bagbin further revealed that the partnership will create opportunities for talented young Ghanaian footballers to train with the Sunderland Academy, providing them with exposure to a top-level football development environment.
"We'll be sending young talents there to their academy, and also those that we believe are mature enough to join the team," he said.
Kudjoe Fianoo on growing competition
Kudjoe Fianoo, a member of the Organising Committee of the KGL Democracy Cup, said the competition was moving from strength to strength, becoming bigger and better.
He noted that this year's edition introduced a youth tournament and a women's edition, which featured a match between ladies from Parliament and ladies from the Judicial Service. The Judicial team emerged victorious on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
"We are bringing Parliament closer to the public, and I think that this competition is really playing that role," he said.
Fianoo said Kotoko and Hearts had both withdrawn from a couple of pre-season competitions to prepare well for this fixture, noting that "Kumasi is a difficult ground" and that the stakes would be very high.
"Ghana football history will not be written without this intervention," he said.
Democracy and football
The Speaker urged Ghanaians to invest in football, describing it not as mere entertainment but as a serious business and investment opportunity.
He cited Brazil and Cape Verde as examples of countries that had benefited enormously from football, noting that Cape Verde had catapulted itself to global heights after the 2026 World Cup.
"Those of us who had the privilege of representing you at the FIFA 2026 can attest to the fact that it's real business, and the contribution football makes to the domestic products of each country is so high," he said.
He appealed to Ghanaians to come on board and embrace the culture of democracy and unity that football promotes.
"The differences are not meant to divide us. It is meant to bring everybody on board. You can only get that when you are a fan of the game of football," he said.
As part of the Democracy Cup celebrations, Speaker Bagbin confirmed that he would lead a delegation to present the trophy to other arms of government, including President John Dramani Mahama.
