Introduction
The FA Cup is 57 years, yet still it generates tremendous interest because the tournament has become known for the possibility for "minnows" from the lower divisions to become "giant-killers" by eliminating top clubs from the competition and end up attaining enviable feat such as Kumasi Dynamos in the 1959, Gold Stars in 1978, Goldfields in 1984 and Nania fc who made history for being the first lower division club to win the competition when they beat Kotoko in 2011.
Accra Hearts of Oak is the most successful club in the anal of the FA Cup with 10 titles, followed by Asante Kotoko with 8 titles, while defunct Real Republicans is the only club to have won it on 4 consecutive seasons. Asante Kotoko are the club that recorded the highest score line in a final, after thrashing Gold Stars 7-1 and are also the reigning champions.
How the competition started (the idea behind it and the organization)
Soccer historians say it was through the initiative of a great English football enthusiast, Ken Harrison, the Ghana Manager of R.E.Harding and Co that Aspro Nicholas Ltd of England donated the ASPRO Cup for the beginning of the FA Cup competition.
The F.A Cup competition was first organized as a challenge Cup to raise money for the Coach of the Black Stars Group, George Ainsley who was an expatriate from Britain. The chairman of the special appeal fund committee was Jelico Quaye, the Treasurer of GAFA. Eight clubs were invited to participate in the competition, with two clubs each from the four major soccer cities in the country. The competition began with local derbies to bring much excitement. In Kumasi Corners vs Kotoko, in Accra Hearts vs Olympics, in Cape Coast, Vipers vs Dwarfs, in Sekondi, Wise vs Hasaacas. The winner of the competition was presented with 'Aspro Cup.'
The joy of the Ashanti clubs (Kotoko and Corners)
The first three FA Cup finals were won by two clubs from the Ashanti region. Kotoko won the maiden edition in 1958, whiles Corners Stones won it in 1959, before Kotoko won the 3 edition in 1960.
The maiden FA competition was keenly contested. The first round which was all local derbies saw Hearts winning from Accra, Kotoko from Kumasi, Hasaacas from Sekondi and Dwarfs from Cape Coast.
In Accra, Hearts after drawing 1-1 with Great Olympics won the replay 2-1. Kotoko beat Cornerstone 4-2, Dwarfs beat Vipers 2-0 and Hasaacas defeated Eleven Wise 1-0.
The semifinals produced a lot of goals. Accra Hearts of Oak in splendid fashion thrashed Dwarfs 6-0 at Accra Stadium and Asante Kotoko spanked Hasaacas 6-2 in Kumasi.
Thus the stage was set for a great battle between the nation's two greatest crowd pullers, Kotoko and Hearts, to battle for the Cup on March 30, 1958.
It was an exciting game from start to finish and Kotoko won 4-2 to become Ghana's first FA Cup winners.
Trailing 0-2 at one stage of the game, Kotoko scored four astonishing goals in a dramatic finish to carry the day. By the 30th minute Hearts were two goals up through speedy right winger Ofei Dodoo and inside forward C.K.Gyamfi but nimble footed left winger Mohammed Salisu reduced the arrears for Kotoko just before the recess.Hearts played a good game in the first half and benefitted from two goals from the boots of Ofei Dodoo and C.K Gyamfi. Kotoko made a comeback that depicts a real champion's feat by scoring four goals. Salisu reduced the tally to 2-1 before half time and two minutes after the recess Baba Yara's penalty leveled the score line. Inside left Kwakye put Kotoko in the lead in the 78th minute, before skipper Asebi Boakye made victory certain for Kotoko late in the game.
The Aspro Cup was replaced the following season, 1959 with the Football Association Cup and incidentally another Kumasi club, Cornerstone, were the first winners of the new trophy. Interestingly
Cornerstone won the cup without kicking a ball in the final. What happened was that a few days to the Cup final, their opponents Sekondi Hasaacas, were suspended by the League Management Committee for four months for refusing to play a charity match against Asante Kotoko in aid of the Founder's Day Appeal Fund.
In an unprecedented move, the two losing semi-finalists Great Ashanti and Kumasi Dynamos were asked to play for the second place. Great Ashanti won 3-1 and were thus officially recorded as runners up to Cornerstone. Great Ashanti had been beaten 7-3 in the semi-finals by Cotnerstone in extra time after a 3-3 draw in 90 minutes. Dynamos had on the other hand lost 3-2 to Hasaacas in the semi-finals.
In place of the Cup Final a ceremonial match was arranged in Kumasi between Cornerstones and Asante Kotoko for the presentation of the cup. Kotoko however spoiled the occasion for Cornerstone by beating them3-1 but Cornerstone were happy to collect the cup all right.
Soccer which doesn't follow logic saw Hearts of Oak, the club that had most of the possession ending up on the losing side and were once again denied by their bitterest rivals Asante Kotoko in a Cup final when they were beaten 3-2 in 1960 final to give the Kumasi clubs a hat-trick of titles in competition.
Real Republicans invisible feat of 4 successive wins
The 1960's was dominated by Real Republican, achieving what remains the best performance by a club in an era.
Real Republicans which was owned by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, but formed by Ohene Djan (the Director of Sports) as a model club compulsorily selected the best players from the teams competing in the topflight league in the 1960's. They are the only club to have won four consecutive FA Cup titles, which happened in 1961/62. 1962/63, 1963/64 and 1965, however this team was disbanded in 1966 following the overthrow of Nkrumah in 1966.
In their maiden triumph, they had to play Asante Kotoko three times, before edging them 2-1 in the second final replay at the Accra Sports Stadium. The first game ended goalless, before the two sides settled for a one all draw in the second final replay.
Republicans became the first club to defend the FA Cup title since its inception in 1958 by beating Cornerstone 2-0 in a final replay, after the final had ended 1-1 in the 1962/63 season. Impressive Real Republicans in an all-conquering fashion annexed the Ghana league as well to achieve the enviable feat of being the first club to win both the FA Cup and the league titles in the same season, which is a double.
The champion in their third consecutive final had a field day by walloping Gt. Ashanti by 3-0 in their first one touch victory in a final.
The fourth triumph was in 1965 when they shared honours with Cornerstone. The two teams drew 1-1 on two occasions and after the second match the GAFA took the easy option of declaring them joint champions. Accra Stadium had no floodlights at the time.
The 1966 competition was cancelled at the quarter final stage by the then Commissioner for Sports A.K.Deku who might have foreseen the imminent collapse of the tournament. Earlier Asante Kotoko and Cornerstone had quit the tournament because of a big unemployment problem that had hit the clubs. At the time most of their players were in state owned organizations, like the Farmers Council and the Workers Brigade and had been laid off in the wake of political changes in the country- the 24th February Coup d'etat that toppled the Dr. Kwame Nkrumah administration.
However, it bounced back in 1968/69 season with Ebusua Dwarfs beating Ho Mighty Eagles 4-2 to emerge champions.
Hearts of oak maiden success and crowned it with a double on two occasions
The 70's was characterized by Hearts of Oak first ever triumph in the competition's history and a double in 1973 and 1979. Kotoko also hit the headline for recording the highest victory in a final.
The 1970/71 F.A Cup was also abandoned, following Hearts' decision to pull out of the competition. The Phobians abandoned the competition because Olympics the league champions were selected to join Kotoko to represent Ghana in the Africa champions Cup. Hearts got furious, because they had a chance to win the FA Cup, which had then reached the quarter finals and the clubs had earlier informed GAFA that the champion of champions of Ghana would represent the country in Africa and not the league champions. Hearts, following the decision saw no need to continue the competition. The authorities selected the Wonder club in order to beat the deadline to register clubs for Africa, hence in order not to miss the chance of losing their slots, they bent the law. As a result of Hearts of Oak's, boycott, which led to the abrupt end of the FA Cup the FA decided, henceforth the winner of the league will automatically be the rep for Africa, instead of the champion of champions.
It took the FA two years to organize another FA Cup competition in 1973. Hearts of Oak won their first FA Cup title in a final replay against exciting Akotex. The final ended 2-2 and not even penalty shootout could separate the sides, as it ended 4-4, but the FA scheduled a replay which Hearts of Oak managed to break Akotex by winning 2-0. They also became the second club to win the double of FA Cup and league titles, after Real Republicans in 1964.
Hearts of oak in 1974 became the second club, after the defunct Real Republicans to defend the FA Cup, when they massacred Swedru All Blacks by 4-0 in a game Mohammed Polo was adjudged the man of the match to crown his 20 birthday which fell some few days before the final.
The dethroned league champions, Olympics were the proud winners of the giant 'Gulder Cup' to win their first FA Cup trophy in 1975 by edging B.A United 2-1.
Asante Kotoko in 1978 whipped second tier club Gold Stars by 7 goals to 1 to defend the trophy won in 1976 and this stands up to date as the highest score line in the history of the FA Cup final. Abdul Razak, the Golden boy teamed-up with Ghana's top scorer in the 1978 AFCON Opoku Afriyie and Joe Sam to disintegrate Gold Stars. Razak and Sam had a brace, while Afriyie fetched a hat-trick. However, Gold Stars made history by becoming the first lower division club to play in the FA Cup final.
The Phobians won a third FA Cup title in a grand style in 1979, becoming the first club in the history of the competition to win a double of league and FA Cup twice, after they defeated Eleven Wise 2-1.
The Westerners had their turn (Western Show Boys and Giants of the West)
The 1980's marked the first period in which the two giants in the Western region won the competition and even staged an all-Western regional final in 1982.
There was no competition in 1980. Hearts of Oak, the champions of the competition in 1979, defended their title in 1981 when they defeated RTU in a final replay.
The first FA Cup final to host the clubs from Sekondi happened in 1982 and Wise emerged victors of that epic final through Kazzum Mingle's lone goal.
In 1983 Olympics cut Bofoakwa United into sizes with a 3-0 victory in a game which was one sided.
Second division side, Obuasi Goldfields fc cruised to the final, but Kotoko piped them by a goal to nil in the All Ashanti affairs in 1984.
Kotoko in 1985 suffered their heaviest defeat in an FA Cup final when the Giants of the West Hasaacas thrashed them 3-0. Budding national star Ollabode Williams could hardly be handled by the Kotoko defence and he made the Porcupines look like novices.
Okwawu United emerged the winners of the 1986 contest by handing RTU their second defeat in an FA Cup final. RTU made a lot of noise, prior to the start of the season that they were sweeping all trophies, but ended with none, after the Mountaineers edged them by a goal to nil.
Hearts completed the decade with a victory over stubborn Cornerstones to emerge champions in 1989 on a penalty shootout, hence became the first to win the competition on penalties.
Kotoko lose the competition through disciplinary action
The highlight of the period was that Kotoko were declared losers for using an unqualified player in their 4-2 win over Hearts of Oak in the 1990 final.
A Cup Final between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko is always a special treat and this was what fans were served with in the 1990 Cup final. Kotoko won 4-2 to make it a hat-trick over Hearts following the 1958 and 1960 victories. However, Hearts Oak were declared winners, following a protest against Kotoko for using Joe Debrah who was on three yellow cards, making him unqualified for the game. Kotoko appealed against the decision, but their appeal was thrown out.
In 1992, for the first time in the history of the competition two unsung clubs, Ho Voradep and Kumasi Neoplan Stars reached the cup final. It was most unexciting match and Voradep won 2-1.
ABC in 1993 signed a 5-year contract to sponsor the FA Cup and Goldfields in that season won the FA Cup on penalties. The Miners beat Cape Coast Dwarfs 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw at regulation time. The hero of the day was Goldfields' international goalkeeper Simon Addo who saved two of the penalty lottery.
Hearts of Oak rallied from a goal down to beat Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs to win the FA Cup in 1994.
The 1996 season saw Hearts of Oak in their third FA Cup final in a row. The Phobians beat Ghapoha 1-0 in a replay through rising star Owusu Afriyie to recapture the cup they won in 1994 when they beat Dwarfs 2-1. Hearts were too strong heading to the final, thrashing Gt. Olympics 4-0 in the quarter finals, to avenge the 0-1 defeat in the hands of their city rivals in the 1995 final.
The 1997 FA Cup was won by Ghapoha, after they edged Okwawu in the final and Kotoko dethroned them in 1998, after piping Real Tamale United 1-0.
Hearts of Oak crowned a successful decade of brilliant football by winning the 1999 and 2000 editions in style. They beat Olympics 3-1 in 1999 and Okwawu 2-0 in 2000 to make it a record 10 FA Cup triumphs.
The FA Cup in 1999 marked its 30 season since the championship began in 1958.
Nania fc unprecedented feat
The highest point of the period from 2001 to 2014 was Nania fc emerging champions, as the first club from the second tier of the Ghana league to do so in 2011.
Asante Kotoko were the champions of the FA Cup, before it went on a 9-year break by beating their town rivals, Kumasi King Faisal by a lone goal in 2001.
The FA Cup was reorganized in 2010/11 season, after barely 10 years of hibernation, with a new sponsor, Telecommunication Giant MTN taking up the mantle to sponsor the competition.
The holders of the competition, Asante were stunned by division one side, Nania fc, which was coached and bankrolled by the three times African footballer of year, Abedi Pele Ayew. The goal was scored in extra time by Evans Omani to rewrite the history of the FA Cup, making Nania the first club outside the first tier league to win the competition.
New Edubiase piped the 1993 winners of the FA Cup, Ashgold by a goal to nil to win the competition in 2012. New Edubiase United won the competition in a remarkable fashion by not conceding a goal.
Theophilus Anoorbaah pushed a bitter pills down the throat of Asante Kotoko to deny them their first double of FA Cup and league triumph, after he fetched his side Medeama sc the only goal in the 2013 final.
Kotoko added their name to the history books of Ghana football, by becoming the 3 club to win a double of FA Cup and League titles, following their 2-1 victory over Inter Allies in 2014.
MTN FA Cup 2015
The 2015 FA Cup grand finally will be remembered as the first to be staged outside Accra, following the decision of the FA Cup Committee to settle on Sekondi. The newly drawn FA Cup regulation governing the competition mandates the committee to settle on a venue of their choice which is contrary to the previous regulation that stipulated that all FA Cup finals should take place in Accra.
No FA Cup competition in memory has witnessed adequate publicity than this. A local organizing committee was formed to help in publicity and they started trophy tour in Sekondi, the host city of the final, before moving to Kumasi the home base of Asante Kotoko and they will finally go to Tarkwa, the home grounds of Medeama to create awareness.
The grand finale of the 37 edition of the FA Cup will pitch Tarkwa based side Medeama sc against Kumasi Asante Kotoko on Sunday 30 August 2015 at the Essipong Sports Stadium, sekondi in the battle of which side secure the slot to represent Ghana in the 2016 CAF Confederations Cup.
The winners of the competition take home a giant trophy in addition to GHC 40, 000 as cash prize, while the runners-up will pocket GHC 15,000. In addition to this the sponsor of the competition MTN will support the team that represent Ghana in the CAF Confederations Cup with an amount of GHC 50,000.
Road to the final for Kumasi Asante Kotoko FC
Kotoko's path to the final game against Medeama sc began with relatively easy competition as they walloped Paga Crocodile 4-0 in the Round of 64, before they defeated Birim DC United 5-2 in the Round of 32. Their next game however proved to be a fierce match against RTU as they escaped with only a 1-0 win in the late minute to set a date with their regional rivals, Ashgold in the quarter finals. Kotoko entered into the game as underdogs, because their performance prior to that game was nothing to write home about and they had also lost all their last four engagements against the Miners, but David Duncan's charges played their hearts out and succeeded to edge Ashgold 2-0. Kotoko in the semis faced another tough customer in Aduana Stars, but they put the Dormaa lads to sleep by thrashing them 3-1 to cruise to the final.
Road to the final for Medeama SC
Medeama's journey to the final began with a lower division side Kade United by beating them by a slim margin of 2-1 in the round of 64, before they survived the scare of Gold Stars in a game which ended goalless draw, but the Tarkwa based club won 3-0 on penalties in the round of 32 and again defeated another lower division side Gt. Astronomers 5-4 in penalty kicks, after the game ended 1-1 in regulation time in the quarter finals. Medeama made a giant step into the semifinals by stopping impressive West African Football Academy (WAFA) with a 3-1 victory. Medeama added Hearts of Oak to their victims by edging the Phobians 2-1 to set a date with Kotoko in the final of the competition which started with 95 clubs.
THE FA CUP WINNERS 1958-2014
YEAR CHAMPIONS RUNNER UP
1958 Kotoko (Aspro) - Hearts
1959 Cornerstone - Gt Ashanti
1960 Kotoko - Hearts
1961/62 Republikans - Kotoko
1962/63 Republikans - Cornerstone
1963/64 Republikans - Gt Ashanti
1965 Republikans/Cornerstone-shared honours
1966 Competition abandoned
1967 No competition
1968/69 Dwarfs - Ho Eagles
1969/70 No competition
1970/71 Abandoned at semi-finals
1972 No competition
1973 Hearts - Akotex
1974 Hearts - All Blacks
1975 Olympics - B.A.United
1976 Kotoko - Wise
1977 No competition
1978 Kotoko - Gold Stars
1979 Hearts - Wise
1980 No competition
1981 Hearts - RTU
1982 Wise - Hasaacas
1983 Olympics - Bofoakwa
1984 Kotoko - Goldfields
1985 Hasaacas - Kotoko
1986 Okwawu - RTU
1987 No competition
1988 No competition
1989 Hearts - Cornerstone
1990 Kotoko - Hearts (Hearts were declared winners after a protest)
1991 No competition
1992 Voradep - Neoplan
1993 Goldfields - Dwarfs
1994 Hearts - Dwarfs
1995 Olympics - Hearts
1996 Hearts - Ghapoha
1997 Ghapoha - Okwawu
1998 Kotoko - RTU
1999 Hearts - Olympics
2000 Hearts - Okwawu
2001 Kotoko - Faisal
2002-2010 - No competition
2010/11 Nania - Kotoko
2011/12 New Edubiase - Ashgold
2012/13 Medeama - Kotoko
2013/14 Kotoko - Inter Allies
Akufo-Addo spotted ordering chiefs to stand for his handshake
Akufo-Addo ‘disrespects’ every chief in Ghana except Okyenhene — NDC Communicato...
Supreme Court clears way for dual citizens to hold key public positions
Be transparent, don’t suppress the truth – Prof. Opoku-Agyemang to Jean Mensa
‘I won’t tell the world I was only a driver’s mate during challenges’ – Prof Jan...
We’ll prosecute corrupt officials of Akufo-Addo’s govt – Prof Jane Naana
[Full text] Acceptance speech by Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang as 2024 NDC Runn...
Election 2024: Don’t be complacent, we haven’t won yet – Asiedu Nketia cautions ...
Election 2024: Stop fighting over positions in Mahama’s next govt – Asiedu Nketi...
Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang will restore dignity of vice presidency – Fifi Kw...
