Top 5 football clubs in the Ghana Super League

Asante Kotoko SC 

Nicknamed the ‘Porcupine Warriors’ the iconic Asante Kotoko is one of the two most glamorous teams in Ghana in terms of successes (both domestic and international), support base, and history. Kotoko is the most successful club in the Ghana Premier League with a record 24 titles to its credit since its inception in 1956 with their last triumph happening in the 2013-14 season. They are on the cusp of clinching a 25th stretching league title in the ongoing 2021-22 Ghana Premier League. 

The Kumasi giants have claimed the Ghana FA Cup trophy nine times with just two behind sworn rivals Hearts of Oak. Kotoko also has won the Ghana Super Cup 3 times in the club’s history.

The Reds conquered the entire continent by winning the CAF Champions League in 1970 and 1983. They were finalists in the same competition in 1967, 1971, 1973, 1982, and 1993 and have been to three semi-finals. 

In the first edition of the CAF Confederation Cup in 2004, the Porcupines made it to the finals only to lose to Ghanaian rivals Hearts of Oak. 

The International Federation of Football History and Statistics ranked Asante Kotoko the African club of the 20th century for its continental prowess.

Hearts of Oak

The Accra giants have been the second most successful club in Ghana, having won the Premier League titles 21 times, three more short of record winners Asante Kotoko SC. 

The Phobians are the most successful club in the Ghana FA Cup as they have won a record 11 times in the competition’s history. They are in the finals of this year’s edition and closing on a historic 12 crown. 

Hearts have won the Ghana Super Cup on three occasions. In 2000, the ‘Rainbow Club’ got to the finals of the CAF Champions League for the 3rd time, beating Tunisian powerhouse Espérance de Tunis to clinch the ultimate diadem. Hearts had been in the finals of the competition twice and had lost all in 1977 and 1979 respectively. 

The Phobians beat bitter rivals Asante Kotoko SC in the finals to lift the maiden edition of the CAF Confederation Cup in 2004. 

Hearts lifted the CAF Super Cup just once in 2001.

AshantiGold SC 

The team was formed in 1978 and emerged as the third force in Ghana football after Asante Kotoko SC and Hearts of Oak when they won the Ghana Premier League three times on the bounce in 1994, 1995, and 1996. They won the Ghana league again in 2015 to become the 3rd most successful club with four titles. 

AshantiGold has won the Ghana FA Cup competition just once and that was in 1993. They have been runners-up three times in 1984, 2012, and lastly in 2021 losing on penalties to Hearts of Oak. 

In their first attempt in the CAF Champions League in 1997, the Miners went to the finals of the competition only to lose to Moroccan giants Raja Casablanca on post-match penalty shootouts. 

AshantiGold reached the quarter-finals of the now-defunct CAF Cup in 2001. The miners will be demoted to the third-tier of Ghana football in the 2022-23 season after being found guilty of match manipulation. 

Great Olympics FC

Great Olympics is one of the oldest existing football clubs in Ghana as they were founded 68 years ago. They are also one of the most followed clubs in the West African country. 

The “Wonder Club” remains one of the few clubs to win the Ghana Premier League more than once as they achieved the feat in 1970 and 1974 – the 4th most successful in history. 

Olympics have won the Ghana FA Cup on three occasions with their last one happening in 1995. The capital-based club came close to African glory in 1971 when they reached the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League. Since its inception, the club has forged a fierce rivalry against its cross-city neighbor Hearts of Oak. 

Aduana Stars FC 

Aduana made history by winning the Ghana Premier League at their first attempt with 53 points after gaining promotion in 2010. They became the ninth club to win the Ghana Premier League in its 54-year-old history.

Aduana ended the season as the fewest scoring side in the league, setting a world record for least productive champions with 19 goals in 30 matches. With an average of 0.6333 goals per match, they broke the all-time record set by Turkish side Trabzonspor. They won the league for the second time in 2017 and became the 5th most successful side in the history of the Ghanaian top flight. The Dormaa Ahenkro-based club went ahead to win the Ghana Super Cup the following year and participated in the CAF Confederation Cup group stages for the very first time. Aduana has a huge following in and around Dormaa Ahenkro which makes them a formidable side when playing at home.

Even though these seem to be the top five teams in Ghana at the moment, there are some other clubs that are fast-growing in terms of success and fanbase. Medeama SC and Bechem United are emerging forces in Ghanaian football history.