The Ghana Premier League is the top professional association football division of the football league system in Ghana.[1][2] Officially formed in 1956 to replace a previous league incarnation, the Gold Coast Club Competition (which began in 1933 and ended in 1953–1954), the league is organized by the Ghana Football Association and was ranked as the 11th best league in Africa by the IFFHS from 2001 to 2010,[3] and the league was also ranked 65th in the IFFHS' Best Leagues of the World ranking, in the 1st Decade of the 21st Century (2001–2010).[4] on 4 February 2014.[5][6][7][8] It has been dominated by Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak. The bottom 3 teams are relegated at the end of each season and placed in each zone of the Ghanaian Division One League.
 | |
| Founded | 1956 |
|---|---|
| Country |  Ghana |
| Confederation | CAF |
| Number of teams | 18 (from 2019–20) |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Division One League |
| Domestic cup(s) | Ghanaian FA Cup Ghana Super Cup |
| International cup(s) | CAF Champions League CAF Confederation Cup |
| Current champions | Medeama (2022–23) |
| Most championships | Asante Kotoko (26 titles) |
| TV partners | StarTimes (live matches) |
| Website | ghanafa.org/premier-league |
| Current: 2023–24 Ghana Premier League | |
The 2019–20 season was halted and eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana that mirrored the cause of postponement or cancellation of association football leagues and competitions across the globe.
Participating clubs (2022–2023)
Eighteen teams will compete in the league; the 15 from the previous season and the 3 winners of the Division One zones. The promoted teams are Samartex and Kotoku Royals who both achieved promotion for the first time.[9] They replaced WAFA, Techiman Eleven Wonders and Elmina Sharks.[10][11]
Tamale City
Stadiums and locations
| Team | Location | Venue | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accra Lions FC | Accra | Accra Sports Stadium | 40,000 |
| Aduana Stars | Dormaa Ahenkro | Agyeman Badu Stadium | 7,000 |
| Asante Kotoko | Kumasi | Baba Yara Stadium | 40,000 |
| Bechem United | Bechem | Nana Gyeabour's Park | 5,000 |
| Berekum Chelsea | Berekum | Sports Stadium | 5,000 |
| Bibiani Gold Stars | Bibiani | Dun's Park | 7,000 |
| Dreams FC | Dawu | Dawu Sports Stadium | 5,000 |
| Great Olympics | Accra | Accra Sports Stadium | 40,000 |
| Hearts of Oak | Accra | Accra Sports Stadium | 40,000 |
| Karela United | Aiyinase | CAM Stadium | 5,000 |
| King Faisal | Kumasi | Baba Yara Stadium | 40,000 |
| Kotoku Royals[12] | Akim Oda | Akim Oda Stadium | 3,000 |
| Legon Cities | Accra | El Wak Stadium | 7,000 |
| Medeama | Tarkwa | TNA Park | 15,000 |
| Nsoatreman | Nsuatre | Nana Kronmansah Park | 2,000 |
| Real Tamale United | Tamale | Tamale Stadium | 21,017 |
| Samartex[13] | Samreboi | Samartex Park | 7,000 |
| Tamale City FC[14] | Tamale | Tamale Stadium | 21,017 |
Club managers and captains
The table lists club managers.
| Team | Manager | Captain |
|---|---|---|
| Accra Lions FC |  James Francis | Dominic Nsobila |
| Aduana Stars | Paa Kwesi Fabin | Bright Adjei |
| Asante Kotoko |  Seydou Zerbo | Richard Boadu |
| Bechem United | Mingle Ocansey Kasim | Kofi Agbesimah |
| Berekum Chelsea | Christopher Ennin | Fuseini Zackaria |
| Bibiani Gold Stars | Micheal Osei | Yakubu Haqq |
| Dreams FC | Ignatius Osei-Fosu | Abdul Jalilu |
| Great Olympics | Yaw Preko | Razak Kasim |
| Hearts of Oak |  Slavko Matić | Mohammed Alhassan |
| Karela United | Bismark Kobby Mensah | Kwadwo Addai |
| King Faisal | Jimmy Cobblah | Samuel Kusi |
| Kotoku Royals | Seth Ablade | Kingsley Afriyie |
| Legon Cities | Maxwell Konadu | Jonah Attuquaye |
| Medeama | David Duncan | Kwasi Donsu |
| Nsoatreman FC | Mohammed Gargo | Obed Duah Anford |
| Real Tamale United | Baba Nuhu | David Abagna |
| Samartex | Annor Walker | Emmanuel Adu Siaw |
| Tamale City FC | Mohammed Wahid | Collins Amoah Boateng |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in the table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Tamale United | Ibrahim Tanko Shaibu | Resigned | 26 July | Pre-season | Baba Nuhu | 12 August 2022 | [15][16] |
| Samartex | Henry Wellington | End of Interim Charge | 31 July | Pre-season | Annor Walker | 5 August 2022 | [17] |
| Great Olympics | Annor Walker | Signed by Samartex | 5 August 2022 | Pre-season | Yaw Preko | 6 August 2022 | [18] |
| Hearts of Oak | Samuel Boadu | Sacked | 28 September 2022 | 14th | Slavko Matić | 19 October 2022 | [19][20] |
| King Faisal | Branko Božović | Sacked | 4 October 2022 | 18th | Jimmy Cobblah | 7 October 2022 | [21][22] |
| Kotoku Royals | Seth Ablade | Sacked | 12 December 2022 | 18th | John Eduafo | 4 February 2023 | [23][24] |
| Dreams FC | Ignatius Osei-Fosu | Sacked | 20 December 2022 | 16th | Abdul-Karim Zito | 5 February 2023 |
Previous winners
List of Ghanaian football champions since 1956
| Clubs | City/Region | Years | Winners | Last title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asante Kotoko | Kumasi, Ashanti | 1959, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1967–1968, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988–89, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 2003, 2005, 2007–08, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2021–22 | 24 | 2021–22 |
| Hearts of Oak | Accra, Greater Accra | 1956, 1958, 1961–62, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1989–90, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2020–21 | 21 | 2020–21 |
| Ashanti Gold[a] | Obuasi, Ashanti | 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 2015 | 4 | 2015 |
| Great Olympics | Accra, Greater Accra | 1970, 1974 | 2 | 1974 |
| Aduana Stars | Dormaa Ahenkro, Bono | 2009–10, 2017 | 2 | 2017 |
| Eleven Wise | Sekondi-Takoradi, Western Region | 1960 | 1 | 1960 |
| Real Republicans | Accra, Greater Accra | 1962–63 | 1 | 1962–63 |
| Mysterious Dwarfs | Cape Coast, Ghana Central Region | 1967 | 1 | 1967 |
| Sekondi Hasaacas | Sekondi-Takoradi, Western Region | 1977 | 1 | 1977 |
| Berekum Chelsea | Berekum, Bono | 2010–11 | 1 | 2010–11 |
| Legon Cities[b] | Accra, Greater Accra | 2016 | 1 | 2016 |
| Medeama | Tarkwa, Western Region | 2022–23 | 1 | 2023 |
| Samartex | Tarkwa, Western Region | 2023–24 | 1 | 2023–24 |
Top scorers by season
Sponsorship
| Period | Title sponsor | Name | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–2013 | Glo | Glo Premier League | [35] |
| 2013–2015 | First Capital Plus Bank | First Capital Plus Bank Premier League | [36] |
| 2016–2022 | None | Ghana Premier League | |
| 2022–2023 | betPawa | betPawa Premier League | [37][38] |
| 2023–present | None | Ghana Premier League | [39] |
Broadcasting rights
In September 2013, SuperSport secured the television production and broadcast rights to the Ghana Premier League after signing a deal with the GFA.[40] In 2017, Pay-TV provider and broadcaster StarTimes secured the official television production and broadcast rights holder for the league, broadcasting live matches per matchday on their branded decoders and equipment.[41]
See also
Notes and references
Notes
References
External links
- Official website
- League at FIFA.com (archived 7 September 2007)
- GhanaWeb Football News
- RSSSF final table archive