Sports
GFA unveils 2025/26 Premier League season; Kotoko/Hearts to clash on Match Day 5
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has officially released the fixture list for the 2025/26 Ghana Premier League season, setting the stage for another thrilling campaign of local football.
The season will kick off on the weekend of September 12, 2025, with defending champions Gold Stars FC beginning their title defence at home against Bechem United at the Duns Park in Bibiani.
Some of the biggest opening-weekend clashes include Accra Hearts of Oak hosting Premier League debutants Hohoe United, while their arch-rivals Asante Kotoko SC travel to the Golden City Park to face Berekum Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Medeama SC and FC Samartex begin their campaigns away at Young Apostles and Vision FC, respectively.
The first leg of the highly anticipated “Super Clash” between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko will take place on Match Day 5 at the Accra Sports Stadium, with the reverse fixture scheduled for Match Day 22 in Kumasi at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
The season will also see the return of regional derbies that are expected to reignite old rivalries.
In the Volta Region, newly promoted Hohoe United will take on Kpando Heart of Lions on Match Day 17, with the reverse leg set for Match Day 34, the final day of the season.
The Brong Ahafo derbies will feature multiple showdowns between Young Apostles, Bechem United, Aduana FC, and Berekum Chelsea.
In the Western Region, Medeama SC will face Basake Holy Stars on Match Day 15 in what is already being billed as a fiery Western Derby, while FC Samartex take on Holy Stars on Match Day 14.
According to the GFA, the 2025/26 season will end on the weekend of May 23/24, 2026, aligning with the global football calendar and giving Ghanaian players ample time to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Matches will be played on weekends, with midweek dates reserved for outstanding fixtures. Congress is scheduled for Tuesday, August 12, 2025, ahead of the league’s start.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has introduced minimum monthly salaries for players in the Ghana Premier League (GPL), Division One League (DOL), and the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
According to the Association, the move is part of efforts to improve the welfare of footballers and make Ghana’s domestic leagues more professional and competitive.
The decision follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the GFA and the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG) ahead of the Association’s last Congress.
One key outcome of that partnership was the introduction of a standard contract for professional players, which has already been implemented by Premier League clubs.
After further discussions with the clubs, the GFA and its partners agreed that players in the Ghana Premier League will now earn a minimum net monthly salary of GHS 1,500.
Players in the Division One League and the Women’s Premier League will each receive a minimum of GHS 700.
The new salary structure will apply to all contracts signed during the next registration window. However, for players already under contract, the new rates will take effect at the start of the 2026/2027 league season.
The GFA explained that the introduction of minimum salaries is a major step toward protecting the welfare of players and ensuring fair compensation for their talent and hard work.
It added that the decision is aimed at raising standards in local leagues, strengthening the value of Ghanaian football, and creating a more professional and sustainable future for players and clubs.
Attention will be at the Golden City Park in Berekum tomorrow as Hearts of Oak lock horns with Berekum Chelsea FC in a Ghana Premier League Matchday 6 game that promises an electrifying atmosphere.
Lying sixth on the league table with two wins and three draws, the Phobians visit a ground that has been favourable to them in recent times. In their last three visits to the Golden City Park, Hearts have amassed seven out of nine points, putting them in strong contention to win.
Head Coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani says, “The team is making progress in its tactical identity despite the lack of goals, and this is something we are working on ahead of this game.”
Hearts will come face-to-face with former coach Samuel Boadu, whose side lies a distant 13th on the league table with a win and a draw from four games. Coach Boadu is yet to celebrate a victory over the Phobians since joining the Berekum lads and would hope this fixture marks a turnaround.
Ninth-placed Vision FC would trek to the Nana Fosu Gyeabour Park in Bechem to play Bechem United, while new boys Hohoe United host Aduana FC at the Hohoe Sports Stadium.
Returnees Swedru All Blacks will welcome Basake Holy Stars to the Swedru Sports Stadium, with defending league champions Bibiani Gold Stars staying put at their backyard, the Dun’s Park, to welcome second-placed Heart of Lions FC on Monday.
Today at the TnA Stadium in Tarkwa, Medeama SC will clash with Samartex FC in a Western derby. Other games scheduled for today would see Eleven Wonders FC host Karela United at the Swedru Sports Stadium, while Dreams FC face Nations FC at the Tuba Astro Turf.
By Raymond Ackumey
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