Soccer historian, Bright Yeboah Taylor who works at Pure FM, a subsidiary of Angel Broadcasting Network (ABN) has set the records straight on both Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko trophies.
For argument’s sake, the Sir Gordon Guggisberg Shield which was competed for by only the Greater Accra teams has not been credited to Hearts of Oak since there was no option for the other clubs in the other regions to take part in that tournament. Hearts won that trophy on Six (6) occasions.
But the 1956 league has been credited to Hearts of Oak because it was opened to clubs that were based in Greater Accra, Centra Region, Ashanti Region, and Western Region as the 1958 league was organized in the same method.
The Ashanti Clubs in 1956 maiden league under the leadership of the Gold Coast Amateur Football Association President, Mr. Richard Maabuo Akwei alias Lion Heart.
The Gold Coast Amateur Football Association became the Ghana Football Association in 1957 after gaining independence. The name became Ghana Amateur Football Association (GAFA) after Ohene Djan was elected to lead the Association in 1957 after Ohene Djan led a “Football Revolution” against Richard Akwei’s administration.
The clubs that were to compete for 1956, Hearts Of Oak, Great Argonauts, Great Olympics, Standfast ( all from Greater Accra), Ebusua Dwarfs, Venomous Vipers ( all from Cape Coast), Sekondi Hasaacas, Sekondi Eleven Wise ( all from Sekondi), Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Kumasi Cornerstone, Kumasi Dynamos, Kumasi Evergreens, Obuasi Hearts of Oak, Obuasi Evertons ( all from the Ashanti Region).
The Ashanti Clubs boycott the tournament and was competed by the clubs from the other regions. The competition was later called off with few games to end the competition and Hearts were declared winners and the second on the table, Eleven Wise received the silver medalists as a runners up.
Otumfou Cups/Asantehene Cup, Ga Matse Cup/Homowo Cup, Fun raising cup, Trade fair cup, National sports council cup, SK Mainoo memorial cup, ECOWAS Cup, Accra Millenium cup/ Ashanti Regional Charity Cup, JOT Agyemang cup, May 9th commemorative cup, and some other individual ceremonial cups are not part.
NB: The double in which Hearts of Oak won between 1973 and 2000 (5 doubles) are not part of their Super Cup trophies since the GFA at that time has not included in the Association football regulation.
As the GFA General Regulation says: The Champion of the Premier Division League and the Champion of the FA Cup competition, if not one and the same club, shall play a straight knockout match and the winner shall be declared the Super Champion,” Article 10(2) of the GFA General Regulation stipulates.
“In the event of the league champion being the same as the FA Cup champion, that Club shall be declared the automatic champion of champions”
Both Hearts of Oak (2020-21) and Asante Kotoko (2013-14) are automatically Super Cup champions in those years they won double.
ACCRA HEARTS OF OAK HOLD 74 OFFICIAL TROPHIES SINCE 1956 BUT 55 TROPHIES WHEN DO AWAY WITH THE PRESIDENT CUP, INDEPENDENCE CUP, JUNE 4TH CUP, REVOLUTION CUP AND SWAG CUP.
HEARTS OF OAK TITLES
Hearts of Oak trophies including ceremonial cups – 74
NB: Memorial cups not included
Trophies under the supervision of the Ghana Football Association and CAF
Official trophies – 55
Major Trophies (League, Ghana Super, CAF Inter-Club Competition) – 42
Hearts of Oak Tiles in Numbers
League Titles- 21
FA Cup: 11
Ghana Super Cup: 7
CAF Champions League: 1
CAF Confederations Cup: 1
CAF Super Cup: 1
Other GFA National Titles
Ghana SWAG Cup: 7 ( 2 shared)
Ghana Telecom Gala: 4
Ghalca Special Cup : 3
Ghana Top Four Cup: 3
Ghana Top Eight Cup: 2
Republic Day Cup {President cup} : 4
Independence Cup: 4
PLB Special Knockout: 1
June 4TH Cup: 3
31St December Revolution Cup: 1
KUMASI ASANTE KOTOKO HOLD 82 OFFICIAL TROPHIES SINCE 1956 BUT 55 TROPHIES WHEN DO AWAY WITH THE PRESIDENT CUP, INDEPENDENCE CUP, JUNE 4TH CUP, REVOLUTION CUP AND SWAG CUP.
ASANTE KOTOKO TITLES
Asante Kotoko trophies including ceremonial cups – 82
NB: Memorial cups not included
Trophies under the supervision of the Ghana Football Association and CAFOfficial trophies – 53
Major Trophies (League, NC Tournaments, Ghana Super, CAF Inter-club Competition) – 39
Asante Kotoko tiles in Numbers
League Titles- 23
FA Cup: 9
Ghana Super Cup: 4
GFA Normalization Cup: 1
CAF Champions League: 2
Other GFA National Titles
Ghana SWAG Cup: 15 ( 1 Shared)
Ghana Telecom Gala : 3
Ghalca Special Cup : 3
Ghana Top Four Cup: 3
Ghana Top Eight Cup: 3
Ghana Top Six Cup: 2
Republic Day Cup {President cup} : 8
Independence Cup : 3
June 4TH Cup: 1
31St December Revolution Cup: 2
By: Bright Yeboah Taylor ‘BYT’
