Parliament will support Kotoko to travel to USA for DC United match - Speaker

Rt. Hon. Speaker Alban Sumana Bagbin has said Parliament will support Asante Kotoko in their match against DC United in the United States of America (USA) next year.

The Speaker said he had instructed his team to find ways of raising funds from corporate bodies to support the club’s participation in the match.

Asante Kotoko will play DC United on October 12, 2024, in the USA, as part of their prize for winning the maiden edition of the Democracy Cup match.

Speaker Bagbin made these known during a review meeting with the organisers of the match, Primeval Media, last week.

According to the Speaker, Parliament, as initiators of the Democracy Cup match, was obliged to see Kotoko play DC United in the USA.

The Speaker said football had now become a unique and powerful tool for promoting and developing countries, adding that the United Kingdom had over the years used it effectively to their advantage.

He added that the venue of the match had a lot of historical importance that must be tapped for the benefit of the two countries.

Mr. Samuel Opoku Nti, who represented Asante Kotoko at the meeting, expressed appreciation to the Speaker for the initiative.

He said the match against DC United would give his club and players the opportunity to exhibit their talents in the USA.

“It’s an opportunity we cherish, and we will do our best when the time comes.

“This is the first time we will be playing in the USA and the entire team is looking forward to that,” he added.

He called on the Speaker to institute measures that would ensure the sustainability of the competition, which would henceforth be an annual event.

Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko played the first-ever Democracy Cup initiated by the Parliament of Ghana.

Kotoko emerged winners with a 2-1 victory over Hearts to lift the maiden trophy at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Democracy Cup match was part of the activities marking 30 years of Ghana’s parliamentary democracy.

The maiden edition was held on July 17, at the Accra Sports Stadium between Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.