The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has announced a landmark partnership between Ghana’s Parliament and English Premier League side Sunderland AFC, paving the way for future winners of the Democracy Cup to play an international friendly in England.
Speaking at a ceremony held at Parliament’s D.F. Annan Auditorium on Wednesday to honour sponsors and partners of the 2025 Democracy Cup, the Speaker said the collaboration reflects the growing international recognition of Ghana’s Democracy Cup as a vehicle for promoting peace, unity and good governance through football.
“Through the efforts of the organisers, Primeval Media Limited, and the Office of the Right Honourable Speaker, we have secured a partnership with Sunderland Football Club in England. So, the winner of the next edition will travel to England,” announced Henry Asante Twum, who moderated the event with the Speaker’s approval.
The English club has long-standing ties to Ghana through former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan, who played for Sunderland during the 2010–2011 season.
The Speaker praised the development as a major step toward elevating the Democracy Cup into an international brand, revealing that several countries, including South Africa, Germany and the United Kingdom, had expressed interest in adopting the concept. “The Democracy Cup is here to stay,” he declared. “We must continue to build it into a continental brand that promotes unity, peace and democratic values through the power of football.”
Hearts of Oak won the 2025 edition of the Democracy Cup after defeating Great Olympics 1-0 at the University of Ghana Stadium, following Asante Kotoko’s triumph in 2024, which earned them a special fixture against D.C. United in Washington.
The event, held at the D.F. Annan Auditorium, attracted Members of Parliament, ministers, corporate leaders, media representatives and football fans, as more than 30 sponsors and partners were honoured with citations for their support.
Speaker Bagbin also used the occasion to propose the establishment of a Democracy Soccer School of Excellence to nurture young football talent and instil civic values, leadership and discipline among the youth. “In the long-term vision, we invite our partners and supporters to consider the proposal to support a private sector-led initiative to establish a Democracy Soccer School of Excellence,” he said. “That is aimed at nurturing young talent, instilling discipline in them, and developing leadership skills that will benefit both sports and democracy in our nation.”
He revealed that other African parliamentary speakers had expressed enthusiasm about adopting the Democracy Cup initiative in their respective countries. “When I revealed this vision to my colleagues, Speakers of Parliament in Africa, they were so thrilled that they want us to extend it to the continental level,” he added.
The Democracy Cup, launched in 2024, has quickly become a major feature of Ghana’s political and sporting calendar. It seeks to promote peace, democratic participation and national unity through football, while strengthening collaboration between state institutions and the private sector.
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