Chairman of the MTN FA Cup Committee, Wilson Arthur, has expressed concern over the poor promotion of the upcoming President’s Cup clash between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, describing the low fan turnout at recent matches as troubling.
The two Ghanaian giants are set to face off on July 6 at the Accra Sports Stadium in the 2025 President’s Cup, a fixture held in honour of the sitting President.
Organizers, GHALCA, have announced plans to intensify publicity in the lead-up to the match in a bid to attract fans and fill the stands.
Speaking on Football Made in Ghana on Channel One TV, Wilson Arthur stressed that external interference often impacts major fixtures and hampers efforts to create the desired atmosphere.
Going forward, I’m hoping that when we are given opportunity to do some of these, we should be given the free hand to do what is needed so that we can get the results we got because we are capable of delivering Ghana football.
Ghana football is not as dead as people take it. I don’t understand why a Hearts and Kotoko match should be played in an empty stadium.
We play Hearts of Oak in this year’s President Cup to be played on Sunday, July 6, 2025.
Entry to this game is free for all.#AKSC #Fabucensus #Kotoko4ll pic.twitter.com/cbq34DaSNa— Asante Kotoko SC – 2X CAF CL Winners🥇 (@AsanteKotoko_SC) June 12, 2025
He underscored the importance of strategic marketing to drive fan engagement:
“The quality of promotions we do; basically, we need to understand that what we are selling is showbiz. And showbiz has to be promoted. You need to go through the full cycle of promotions.
You need to create awareness. You need to generate interest. You need to excite people to act. You need to create fever for it.”
Arthur concluded by emphasizing football’s unifying power and the need to treat it accordingly.
It can be done. Our football is so powerful. Our football is the only thing that unites us. It’s the only thing that really excites us. It’s the passion of the nation.
But when it is not well promoted, when it is treated as if you can just tell people that this match is coming on and then you do nothing else and then you expect the stadium for people, then we have a problem.
With the right approach, he believes Ghanaian football can reclaim its place at the heart of national pride and unity.
