Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams has presented this year’s Democracy Cup to Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, as government and Parliament call for greater investment in grassroots sports and the use of sports to strengthen Ghana’s democratic values.
The call was made at the Flagstaff House ahead of the annual Democracy Cup fixture between Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak at the Baba Yara Stadium.
The presentation of the Democracy Cup to Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has renewed calls for Ghanaians to draw lessons from football to strengthen democratic governance, peaceful political competition and national unity.
The Democracy Cup, an initiative of Parliament designed to use football as a platform for promoting democratic values, was presented to the Vice President at the Jubilee House in Accra ahead of the latest edition of the competition.
Receiving the cup on behalf of the government and people of Ghana, Vice President Opoku-Agyemang said football and democracy shared important principles, particularly the need to respect rules, accept outcomes and recognise that the collective good was bigger than individual interests.
She said Ghana’s democratic achievements over the past three decades should not be taken for granted, stressing the need for credible elections, accountable institutions, respect for fundamental freedoms and responsible citizenship.
“Competition works only when we accept the rules that make it possible, and remember that the game itself is bigger than any one side,” she said.
The Vice President noted that Ghana had conducted successive elections and witnessed peaceful transfers of political power, earning international recognition for its democratic credentials.
She, however, cautioned that those achievements required continuous protection and called on public officials to serve all Ghanaians irrespective of their political affiliation or beliefs.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the administration of President John Dramani Mahama remained committed to accountable governance, the rule of law and the strengthening of public institutions.
She further urged Ghanaians to cultivate a political culture in which disagreements did not turn into hostility.
“We must be able to disagree strongly without becoming enemies, to compete without destroying one another, and to accept that people who want the best for our country may disagree profoundly about how we get there,” she said.
The Vice President also highlighted the role of young people in Ghana’s democratic development, urging them to participate fully in national affairs, debate ideas and make their voices heard without resorting to violence or intolerance.
She commended Parliament for sustaining the Democracy Cup initiative and thanked the participating clubs, players, technical teams, supporters, organisers and sponsors.
First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Bernard Ahiafor, drew parallels between football and the constitutional responsibilities of the three arms of government.
He said football, like democratic governance, required teamwork and collaboration, while maintaining the necessary boundaries between the various players.
“In a game of football, it’s teamwork. Politics is also teamwork for good governance,” Mr Ahiafor said.
He stressed that effective governance required cooperation among the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, supported by the constitutional principle of separation of powers and checks and balances.
Quoting the French political philosopher Montesquieu, he noted that the concentration of power could lead to abuse, making institutional checks essential in a modern democracy.
Mr Ahiafor also compared victory and defeat in football to political contests, saying participants must be prepared to celebrate victory with humility and accept defeat with courage.
He said the same values should guide political actors before, during and after elections.
In a lighter moment, he described himself as a midfielder who would have the responsibility of stopping the Sports Minister, Kofi Adams, from scoring when the Legislature and Executive meet in the curtain-raiser to the Democracy Cup.
Clerk to Parliament Ebenezer Djietror said Parliament’s involvement in the Democracy Cup was also aimed at strengthening grassroots sports development and creating opportunities for young people.
He said there were plans to support the development of sports at the basic level, including discussions around the establishment of a sports academy.
Mr Djietror said Members of Parliament, because of their close relationship with constituents, could play an important role in identifying and nurturing young sporting talents.
He argued that sports offered valuable lessons in discipline, respect, cooperation, competition and unity of purpose.
According to him, these values could help shape young people into responsible citizens and future leaders.
He said the Democracy Cup was intended to demonstrate that political competition did not have to destroy relationships.
“Can we contest? Yes, just as football is, we clearly contest for the prize. Immediately thereafter, you embrace your opponent, you hug each other, and you move on with the process,” he said.
Mr Djietror said Parliament had, through the initiative, also created opportunities for the Electoral Commission, Judiciary and other institutions to interact more closely with the political class and the public around democratic governance.
He recalled previous editions of the initiative, including occasions when senior officials from the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary gathered at football stadiums to symbolically kick-start the competition.
He said such public displays of institutional cooperation sent an important message to ordinary Ghanaians that national development required collective effort.
Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams said the government was prioritising sports development from the grassroots, particularly through school sports.
He said the government had introduced school sports coordinators and was pursuing a policy direction aimed at restoring school sports as an important component of the country’s educational system.
According to Mr Adams, sports played a critical role in developing discipline, respect and good moral values among young people.
He cited examples from boxing and football to illustrate how sporting rules teach competitors to respect the wellbeing of opponents even during intense competition.
He also announced that plans were advancing to provide modern sports infrastructure in 10 regions, an increase from an earlier commitment to develop facilities in six new regions.
Mr Adams said authorisation had been issued by the Finance Minister and procurement processes were underway, with construction expected to begin this year.
He added that the government was also working to provide schools with sporting equipment to support school sports activities.
The Minister said the Democracy Cup had attracted international attention and had helped position Ghana as a country capable of using sport to promote democratic values.
He said Ghana’s role in regional and continental affairs could provide an opportunity for the country to promote sports development and democratic values across Africa.
The latest edition of the Democracy Cup is expected to feature another high-profile meeting between Ghanaian football giants Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi on Friday, August 28, 2026. This is the third edition of the Cup.
The fixture will be preceded by a curtain-raiser involving Parliament’s Legislature team and the Executive team.
Mr Adams, who previously played on the Legislature side before moving into the Executive, joked that his experience would give him an advantage when the two sides meet.
By Evelyn Tengmaa
