2025 GHALCA TOP 4 TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: KUMASI ASANTE KOTOKO VS BIBIANI GOLD STARS

The 2025 GHALCA Top 4 tournament kicks off today, Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at the University of Ghana in Accra, where Asante Kotoko will face off Bibiani Gold Stars.

The 3- time champions, Asante Kotoko, are set to host the debutants, Bibiani Gold Stars, in the match opener fixture of the 2025 GHALCA Top 4 tournament.

By: Isaac Amponsah (Dr Ike) and Aaron Kintoh

Predictions: Home win/draw

The two teams’ last meeting ended goalless in the Ghana Premier League during the 2024-25 season on Match Day 32, Sunday, May 25, 2025, at Dun’s Park.

At the Plush Novotel Hotel on June 15, 1993, the Organization of Ghana League Clubs Association, now Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA), the mother body of all league clubs in Ghana, formed the GHALCA Top 4 competition and to be competed for by the first four best clubs in the previous season during the off season.

However, GHALCA were unable to organize a competition until nine years later in 2002. On Thursday, February 14, 2002, GHALCA launched a "Top 4 competition" aimed at sourcing additional revenue to support clubs.

Launching the competition, Mr J.Y. Appiah, the then Chairman of GHALCA said the tournament would also be financially rewarding to clubs involved and also serve as a good pre-season exercise for the pending Premier League and CAF Inter-club Competitions, which starts in March 2002.

The GHALCA competition, which started on Wednesday, February 20, 2002, would involve Accra Hearts of Oak, Obuasi Goldfields now Ashanti Gold, Bofoakwa Tano, and Liberty Professionals. Bofoakwa Tano and Liberty Professionals, who placed 5th and 6th respectively in the 2001 Premier League, gained entry after the withdrawal of Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Dawu Youngsters.

The competition, which has total prize money of ¢18 million would see the winner taking home ¢10 million, ¢5 million for the runner-up and ¢3 million for the third position. Mr Appiah said aside of the prizes for the first three teams, the association would make available to participating clubs money to cater for their preparation and transportation. The round-robin tournament has Hearts taking on Liberty at the Accra Sports Stadium while Goldfields vie with Bofoakwa at the Len Clay Obuasi to kick-start it.

The GHALCA Top 4 began in 2002, and in some editions the competition was played with either 6 teams or 8 teams for obvious reasons.

Bechem United is the current holders of the GHALCA Top 4 trophy when they won the 2024 edition of the competition by 2-0 in the final game against Nations FC at the Tarkwa and Aboaso Stadium. The Hunters recorded a perfect record in the competition having won all three matches (1-0 vs Medeama SC, 3-0 vs Sekondi Eleven Wise, 2-0 vs Nations FC).

Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak jointly holding the record for most successful club in the GHALCA Top 4 competition with three titles each.

HEAD-TO-HEAD IN THE GHALCA TOP 4 TOURNAMENT BETWEEN KUMASI ASANTE KOTOKO VS BIBIANI GOLD STARS .

This fixture will be the first time Asante Kotoko and Bibiani Gold Stars will be meeting in the GHALCA Top 4 tournament.

• Head-to-Head in other competitions:

• November 12, 2021: Bibiani Gold Stars 0-1 Asante Kotoko (Day 3) [2021-22 Ghana Premier League]

• March 13, 2022: Asante Kotoko 5-0 Bibiani Gold Stars [2021-22]

• January 16, 2023: Bibiani Gold Stars 1-1 Asante Kotoko (Day 13) [2022-23 Ghana Premier League]

• May 7, 2023: Asante Kotoko 1-1 Bibiani Gold Stars (Day 30) [2022-23 Ghana Premier League]

• September 23, 2023: Bibiani Gold Stars 2-1 Asante Kotoko (Day 2) [2023-24 Ghana Premier League]

• March 1, 2024: Asante Kotoko 1-0 Bibiani Gold Stars (Day 19) [2023-24 Ghana Premier League]

• December 27, 2024: Asante Kotoko 2-0 Bibiani Gold Stars (Day 15) [2024-25 Ghana Premier League]

• May 25, 2025: Bibiani Gold Stars 0-0 Asante Kotoko (Day 32) [2024-25 Ghana Premier League]

Total matches played       - 8

Asante Kotoko wins          - 4

Goals scored                      - 12

Bibiani Gold Stars wins    - 1

Goals scored                      - 4

Drawn games                     - 3

Their last encounter is the only game that failed to produce a goal.

• Match Facts:

Hearts of Oak won the maiden edition of the GHALCA Top 4 trophy in 2002 when the competition was given birth to.

Asante Kotoko have won trice in the GHALCA Top 4 tournament since it's inception in the 2002 (2003, 2007, 2015).

The last time Asante Kotoko won the GHALCA Top 4 trophy was the 2015 edition (10 years ago).

The last time we had Asante Kotoko, Hearts of Oak and Heart of Lions competing in the GHALCA Top 4 tournament was the 2014 edition, which Ashanti Gold won that edition.

In the 2025 edition, Asante Kotoko, Hearts of Oak and Heart of Lions will be participating in the competition again.

Bibiani Gold Stars debut season in the Ghanaian top-flight competition was 2021-22 season, and below is their performances in seasons:

• 2021-22 season, 9th position with 46 points

• 2022-23 season, 5th position with 49 points

• 2023-24 season, 11th position with 47 points

• 2024-25 season, Champions with 63 points

The 2025 edition of the GHALCA Top 4 tournament will be the first time the Miners will be participating in the competition since it's inception in 2002.

• Tournament Details:

• Participating Teams:

- Bibiani Gold Stars

- Heart of Lions

- Asante Kotoko

- Hearts of Oak

The competition will run from August 20 to 24, 2025, and will provide a platform for the teams to fine-tune their squads and strategies ahead of the new Premier League season.

• Fixtures:

• Wednesdays, 20th August, 2025 Asante Kotoko vs Bibiani Gold Stars 3:00pm (Day 1)

• Wednesday, 20th August, 2025 Hearts of Oak vs Heart of Lions 6:00pm (Day 1)

• Friday, 22nd August, 2025 Bibiani Gold Stars vs Hearts of Oak 3:00pm (Day 2)

• Friday, 22nd August, 2025 Heart of Lions vs Asante Kotoko 6:00pm (Day 2)

• Sunday, 24th August, 2025 Bibiani Gold Stars vs Heart of Lions 3:00pm

Sunday, 24th August, 2025 Asante Kotoko vs Hearts of Oak 6:00pm

The 2025 edition of the GHALCA Top 4 tournament will be played in round robin (all-play-all) and at the end, the team with the highest points win the trophy.

Coach Abdul Karim Zito of Asante Kotoko since his return to the side has guided the club to win three trophies already:

• 2025 President Cup

• 2025 Toyota Cup in Sunth Africa

• 2025 MTN FA Cup

Coach Zito is determined to win the 2025 GHALCA Top 4 trophy for Asante Kotoko.

Coach Stephen Frimpong Manso's side, Bibiani Gold Stars, won the 2024-25 Ghana Premier League trophy, which has boosted their confidence. He will likely wish to add the 2025 GHALCA Top 4 trophy to the team's accomplishments.

The GHALCA Top 4 tournament serves as a key preparatory platform for the participating teams ahead of the new football season.

It provides an opportunity for coaches to asses their players, try new tactics, and build momentum for CAF Inter-club football competitions: CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.