Brief History of the Ghana Football Association (FA) Cup
The Ghana FA Cup competition, now known as the MTN FA Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the elite knock out competition of the Ghana Football Association (GFA). The competition was first held in the season 1957/1958, then known as the Aspro Cup where Asante Kotoko beat Accra Hearts of Oak 4-2 at the final to be crowned champions of the maiden edition.
The knockout competition is played between the clubs of the Ghana Premier League, the Division One League, the Division Two and Three Leagues. However, the upset driven competition took eight years intermission between the seasons 2002 and 2010.
Accra Hearts of Oak is the most successful club in the history of the competition, having won the title for ten times (10), last in 2000 when they beat Okwahu United 2-0 in the final. Kumasi Asante Kotoko follows closely with 9 titles, last won it in 2017 at the time of writing, after beating Hearts of Oak 3-1 in the final at the Tamale sports stadium.
Ghana FA Cup previous Winners list
Season Winners Runners-Up
1958 Asante Kotoko (Kumasi) 4-2 Hearts of Oak (Accra) (Aspro Cup)
1959 Cornerstones (Kumasi) Great Ashantis (Kumasi)
1960 Asante Kotoko (Kumasi) 2-0 Hearts of Oak (Accra)
1961/62 Real Republicans (Accra) 0-0 1-1 2-1 Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
1962/63 Real Republicans (Accra) 1-1 2-0 Cornerstones (Kumasi)
1963/64 Real Republicans (Accra) 3-0 Great Ashantis (Kumasi)
1965 Real Republicans (Accra) 1-1 1-1 Cornerstones (Kumasi) (shared)
1966 competition abandoned
1967 Not played
1968 Mysterious Dwarfs (Cape Coast) 1-0 Mighty Eagles (Ho)
1969/70 Not played
1970/71 Abandoned at semi-final stage
1972 Not played
1973 Hearts of Oak (Accra) 2-2 2-0 Akotex (Akosombo) (Note: the first match was followed by penalty shoot-out which ended 4-4)
1974 Hearts of Oak (Accra) 2-1 All Blacks (Swedru)
1975 Great Olympics (Accra) 1-0 Brong-Ahofu United (Sunyani)
1976 Asante Kotoko (Kumasi) 2-1 Eleven Wise (Sekondi)
1977 Not played
1978 Asante Kotoko (Kumasi) 7-0 Gold Stars (Tarkwa)
1979 Hearts of Oak (Accra) 1-0 Eleven Wise (Sekondi)
1980 Not played
1981 Hearts of Oak (Accra) 2-0 Real Tamale United
1982 Eleven Wise (Sekondi) 2-1 Hasaacas (Sekondi)
1983 Great Olympics (Accra) 1-0 Tano Bafoakwa (Sunyani)
1984 Asante Kotoko (Kumasi) 1-0 Goldfields (Obuasi)
1985 Hasaacas (Sekondi) 2-0 Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
1986 Okwahu United (Nkawkaw) 2-0 Real Tamale United (Tamale)
1987 Not played
1988 Not played
1989 Hearts of Oak (Accra) 2-0 Cornerstones (Kumasi)
1989/90 Hearts of Oak (Accra) 2-4 Asante Kotoko (Kumasi) (Hearts won on successful protest)
1990/91 Not played
1991/92 Voradep (Ho) 2-2 Neoplan Stars (Kumasi) (3-2 pen)
1992/93 Goldfields (Obuasi) 4-3 Mysterious Dwarfs (Cape Coast)
1993/94 Hearts of Oak (Accra) 2-1 Mysterious Dwarfs (Cape Coast)
1994/95 Great Olympics (Accra) 1-0 Hearts of Oak (Accra)
1995/96 Hearts of Oak (Accra) 0-0 1-0 Ghapoha (Tema) (there was no penalty shoot-out after the first match due to floodlights failure)
1996/97 Ghapoha (Tema) 1-0 Okwahu United (Nkawkaw)
1997/98 Asante Kotoko (Kumasi) 1-0 Real Tamale United
1999 Hearts of Oak (Accra) 3-1 Great Olympics
2000 Hearts of Oak (Accra) 2-0 Okwahu United (Nkawkaw)
2001 Asante Kotoko (Kumasi) 1-0 King Faisal (Kumasi) a.e.t
2002-2010 Not played
2010/11 Nania FC (Legon) 1-0 Asante Kotoko (Kumasi) a.e.t
2011/12 New Edubiase FC 1-0 Ashanti Gold FC (Obuasi)
2012/13 Medeama SC (Tarkwa) 1-0 Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
2013/14 Asante Kotoko (Kumasi) 2-1 Inter-Allies FC (Accra) a.e.t
2014/15 Medeama SC (Tarkwa) 2-1 Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
2015/16 Bechem United 2-1 Okwahu United (Nkawkaw)
2016/17 Asante Kotoko (Kumasi) 3-1 Hearts of Oak (Accra)
2018/2019 Suspended
2019/2020 Suspended due to the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic
2020/2021 Accra Hearts of Oak (8)0-0(7) Asahti Gold SC (Accra)-Hearts of Oak won on penalty shoot-outs after the 120 Minutes (8-7)
2021/2022 Accra Hearts of Oak SC 2-1 Bechem United (Hearts of Oak won their 12th title – the most in history)
2022/2023: Dreams FC beat King Faisal (2-0) at Dr. Kwame Kyei Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
2023/2024: Bofoakwa Tano [4] 1-1 [5] Nsoatreman FC won on penalty shoot-out after 120 minutes.
Compiled by GSP1 Media Team
