FA Cup to trial two-legged final as 2026/27 season begins

Ghana’s MTN FA Cup will have a two-legged final on a trial basis this season, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) said as preliminary pairings were drawn on 13 October 2026.

Frank Nelson, Vice Chairman of the FA Cup Committee, said at the draw in Accra that the change would let both finalists host a match in front of their own supporters. “The two-legged final is a pilot project,” he said, adding that it would be kept if it worked.

The competition opens on 23 October with 46 Division One clubs and 44 Division Two clubs, drawn into 10 zones. Ghana Premier League sides join in later rounds. One of the early ties pits John Paintsil FC against Nania FC.

Mr Nelson said this season’s focus was on communities. He urged chiefs and residents to turn out for their local clubs under the theme “My MTN FA Cup, My Community.”

The stakes run beyond the trophy. The winner earns a place in the CAF Confederation Cup, the second-tier continental club competition. The tournament often gives lower-division clubs their best chance of reaching continental football.

Nations FC are the defending champions. They beat Dreams FC 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the 2025/26 final at the University of Ghana Stadium on 31 May 2026, a week after being relegated from the Premier League. They became the first relegated club to lift the cup in 34 years, matching Voradep’s run in 1992.

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