Champion of Champions clash between Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak cancelled

This season’s Champion of Champions game between Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak have been called off, the GFA has announced on Monday evening.

With Asante Kotoko entering into the cancelled final game from lifting the Ghana Premier League title last season, Hearts of Oak enter after winning the FA Cup having beaten Bechem United in final at Baba Yara Stadium.

The clash of Ghana football season and continental football in early September has forced this massive change on GFA calendar with the regional football governing body prioritizing African football ahead of its competitions seeing the cancellation of Ghana’s Champion of Champions that would have been played in between African Nations Championship qualifier and Caf Champions League.

Ghana will play a second leg game of the CHAN qualifiers against Nigeria on 3 September two days to the Champion of Champions in Kumasi and four to Kotoko’s traveling to Ivory Coast to face Burkinabe champions Rail Club du Kadiogo in African Champions League prelims.

Both clubs have began preseason for the 2022-2023 season which starts on 9th September a week after the Champion of Champions fixture- a Ghana version of England’s Community Shield.

Ghana’s new football season has already delayed nearing its club’s engagement in African football where Asante Kotoko face Burkina Faso giants Rail Club du Kadiogo in the Caf Champions League and Hearts of Oak in the Confederation Cup in October. l

To relief Ghanaian clubs from pressure ahead continental duties the GFA has cancelled the Champion of Champions that was to be played on 5th September.

“The Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association has canceled the Champions of Champions fixture between League Champions Asante Kotoko SC and FA Cup winners Accra Hearts of Oak SC that was scheduled to be played on Monday September 5, 2022.

“The preliminary round of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League between Rail Club du Kadiogon and Asante Kotoko will now be played on Friday September 9, 2022.

“On the other hand, Hearts of Oak SC also have more than five players in the Black Galaxies and may require a postponement.

“The cancellation of the Champions of Champions match is to give Champions Asante Kotoko SC ample time to prepare for the Champions League and to afford the Black Galaxies the free room to qualify for the CHAN competition.

“The Ghanaian Champions will face Rail Club du Kadiogo on Friday September 9 at Stade Yamoussoukro in Cote D’Ivoire while Ghana play Nigeria in the 2nd leg of the CHAN qualifiers at Moshood Abiola stadium in Abuja on Saturday 3, 2022.