Accra Hearts of Oak captain Benjamin Asare has issued a rallying call to the club’s supporters ahead of the 2026 Democracy Cup, urging them to travel to Kumasi in large numbers as the Phobians look to defend the title they won a year ago.
The goalkeeper, speaking ahead of the club’s clash with Asante Kotoko, said backing from the terraces would be central to the team’s push for silverware and a strong start to the new football calendar.
The Democracy Cup, organised by the Youth Parliament of Ghana in partnership with the KGL Group, has become a fixture on Ghana’s football calendar, bringing together the country’s two most storied clubs in a season-opening exhibition of rivalry and civic spirit.
This year’s edition returns to the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, a venue Asare says holds special significance for the Phobians.
I urge all Hearts of Oak supporters across Ghana to come to Kumasi in your numbers and support us, so that the program will be successful. Hopefully, I will be in the goalposts, and together, we will win this trophy and bring it back to Accra.
Asare, who has established himself as a commanding presence between the posts for the Phobians, was candid about the scale of the challenge awaiting his side. Kotoko, the reigning Democracy Cup champions before last year’s edition, remain a fierce opponent whenever the two clubs meet, and the captain was careful not to understate what lies ahead.
I want to tell all Ghanaians, especially Accra Hearts of Oak supporters, that this will not be an easy game. We need your support to help us secure victory in the Democracy Cup and carry that winning spirit into the league,” Asare said, framing the fixture as more than a standalone contest but as a springboard for the club’s domestic league ambitions.
The choice of venue carries its own weight for the Phobians captain. Hearts of Oak triumphed at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium during last season’s meeting with Kotoko, and Asare believes that history works in his side’s favour as they return to Kumasi.
Kumasi is like our second home. Last season we were victorious at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, and as we return to Kumasi, we want everyone to know that we are coming to defend our title.
The two clubs enter the 2026 edition with contrasting recent Democracy Cup histories. Hearts of Oak have contested the fixture twice, winning once and losing once, and currently share the honours with Kotoko at one title apiece heading into this year’s showdown.
Kotoko, by contrast, have made a single prior appearance in the competition, which they won without defeat.