Ghana Premier League

The Ghana Premier League is the top professional football division in Ghana, organized by the Ghana Football Association (GFA). Founded in 1958, it replaced the old Gold Coast Club Competition and is now one of Africa’s most historic and competitive leagues.

The league features famous clubs like Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak, whose rivalry is one of the biggest in African football.

History and facts

The modern national league started in 1958, shortly after Ghana’s independence. Before that, football was mainly played in regional competitions like the Gold Coast Club Competition.

Over the decades, the league has been dominated by Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak. Kotoko are the record champions with more than 25 league titles, while Hearts have won the league over 20 times.

The Ghana Premier League sends teams to the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup, and has produced many stars who later played in Europe’s top leagues.

League system

Since the 2019–20 season, the Ghana Premier League has featured 18 clubs. Each team plays the others twice (home and away), for a total of 34 matches per team.

The lowest-placed teams are relegated to the nationwide Division One League, which is divided into three zones. The best clubs from Division One earn promotion to the Premier League.

Table 1. Ghana football league pyramid

League	Tier
Ghana Premier League	1
Division One League (Zone 1, 2, 3)	2
Regional Division Two & lower	3+

Below the Division One League, football is organized in regional and district divisions.

Stats

Teams with most titles

Table 2. Most Ghana Premier League titles

Club	Titles
Asante Kotoko	26
Accra Hearts of Oak	20
Ashanti Gold	4
Accra Great Olympics	2
Aduana Stars	2
Medeama SC	1
FC Samartex	1
Bibiani Gold Stars	1

Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak are the traditional giants of the league.

Teams with most league participation

Table 3. Most seasons in the top division

Club	Approx. seasons
Asante Kotoko	60+
Accra Hearts of Oak	60+
Ashanti Gold	30+
Accra Great Olympics	30+
Hasaacas / other traditional clubs	20+

Kotoko and Hearts have been ever-present at the top level for decades.

Audience

Major stadiums

Table 4. Major stadiums used in the Ghana Premier League

Stadium	City	Capacity
Baba Yara Sports Stadium	Kumasi	40,000+
Accra Sports Stadium	Accra	40,000
Cape Coast Sports Stadium	Cape Coast	15,000–20,000
Ashanti Gold Len Clay Stadium	Obuasi	20,000
Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium	Tamale	20,000

Players

Famous players

Abedi Pele
Asamoah Gyan
Michael Essien
Samuel Osei Kuffour
Stephen Appiah
Sulley Muntari
Charles Taylor
Ishmael Addo