MTN FA Cup: Giant killers: FA Cup, no respecter of class

The ongoing MTN FA Cup has repeated the traditional trend of the competition that has the tendency of generating much surprises.

The quarter finals of the contest saw Bechem United edge out Asante Kotoko, who were favourites to match on to the final four, especially after they had beaten the Bechem lads at home in the Ghana Premier League, but as everybody thought the Porcupine Warriors were going to repeat the dose on the Brong Ahafo side, they were shockingly invaded at their comfortable zone, the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi by the Bechem invaders, while first division side Okwawu United, former winners of the competition kicked out sensational West African Football Academy (WAFA) a premier league club from the contest, with the biggest surprise coming from the Wa derby that staged a duel between lower division side Wa Rockets and Ghana Premier League leaders, Wa All Stars. The overwhelming favourites in that game were piped by a goal to nil by their city rivals to end their campaign. The only side that lived up to the billing were Liberty Professionals who walloped Elmina Sharks by 3-0 on Saturday.

The FA Cup over the years has produced dark horses emerging to make their mark. The FA Cup all over the world is the competition that offers an opportunity for lower division clubs to face the teams playing in the topflight league.

The emergence of the term 'Giant Killers' was as a result of the FA Cup and the Ghana FA Cup, since its inception in 1958 has brought out a lot of giant killing feats.

The first team to make the headlines for their giant killing instinct was Kumasi Dynamos, a division 2 side, which was at the time in the 2 tier league, since the topflight was division one. They edged out some big name teams including a 4-3 defeat handed over to Accra Hearts of Oak at the quarter finals stage to reach the semi-finals, before Sekondi Hasaacas put the brakes on them in 1959.

In the 1970's Tarkwa Gold Stars, a lower division side were in the news for the right reasons when they edged past big name clubs to book a date with Kotoko in the final in 1978. The likes of All Blacks, Dwarfs, Bofoakwa and Akotex all fell victims to Gold Stars, before they were overwhelmed by Asante Kotoko in the final.

Goldfields in 1984 would also produce a sensational display in the FA Cup. On their way to the final they had to overcome a strong opposition from Hasaacas, the losing finalists of the 1983, but prevailed in the end with 3-2 victory and also dispatched off B.A United, before Kotoko edged them by a goal to nil in an uninspiring grand finale.

Ho Voradep would become the first relegated side to emerge as champions of the national knockout contest. They had suffered relegation from the topflight league in 1992, which was division one at the time, but would beat them all to win the FA Cup and would represent Ghana in the CAF Cup Winners Cup, while in the wilderness of Ghana football.

The FA Cup after ten years of hibernation, since 2001 got resurrected, when MTN came on board as the new sponsors in the 2010-11 season. The new wind blowing increased the level of enthusiasm from the clubs. Kotoko, the winners of the competition in 2001, Hearts of Oak, the most successful club in the history of the contest, Ashgold, former champions and new powerhouses like Aduana Stars and Berekum Chelsea were all eyeing for the trophy, but there was going to be one winner and that came from an unlikely source. The most incredible story of the giant killers came from Abedi Pele's Nania FC. Nania, who had been rocked by match fixing scandal in 2007 and got demoted to division two (third tier of the league). They got promoted later and became history makers, when they became the first lower division side to win the FA Cup. No one gave them any chance, but they meandered their way through by axing all the big gangs in Ghana football to win the ultimate. They defeated Berekum Chelsea, who were seeking a double, after they had already won the GLO Premier League in the semi-finals, before an extra time goal from a substitute, Evans Omani gave them a historic victory over Kumasi Asante Kotoko to engrave their name on the newly donated trophy by the sponsors, MTN.