Ghana premier league
The Ghana Premier League, recently also known as the BetPawa Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is a top football division of a league system in Ghana. THe league is formed by 18 teams which play 2 matches against each other (one on the home stadium and another one as visitor). Every year the 3 last teams will be relegated to the Ghanaian Division One League
History[edit]
Officially formed in 1956 to replace a previous league incarnation, the Gold Coast Club Competition (which began in 1933 and ended in 1953–54), the league is organized by the Ghana Football Association and was considered as the 11th best league in Africa by the IFFHS from 2001 to 2010, and was ranked 65th in the IFFHS' Best Leagues of the World ranking, in the 1st Decade of the 21st Century (2001–2010). on 4 February 2014. Lately the Ghana premier league has been very controversial, due to the acusations of corruption. In 2018 a documentary by Anas Aremeyaw Anas flagged the ilegit deals done by the GFA, which ended up with the dissolution of the Ghana Football Association and declaring that years competition as "abandoned". This was not the only time in recent years when the league had no conclusion, since later on season 2019-2020, league was interrupted and declared abandoned, due to the worlwide threaten of "Covid 19".
Sponsorship and TV rights[edit]
In September 2013, SuperSport secured the television production and broadcast rights to the Ghana Premier League after signing a deal with the GFA. In 2017, Pay-TV provider and broadcaster StarTimes secured the official television production and broadcast rights holder for the league, broadcasting live matches per matchday on their branded decoders and equipment. The 3rd of August 2022, GFA signed and agreement with Rwanda based company Mchezo LTD (owners of the betting website Betpawa), to sponsor for three years the football league, in an deal of +$6.000.000, in exchange for naming the league under their name, changing the league name to "Betpawa Premier League".
Participating Teams current Season (2023 - 2024)[edit]
18 clubs will participate in the current season, 15 from the season 2022 - 2023, plus the three top performers on Division One zones.
| Team | Location | Venue | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accra Lions FC | Accra | Accra Sports Stadium | 40,000 |
| Aduana Stars | Dormaa Ahenkro | Agyeman Badu Stadium | 7,000 |
| Asante Kotoko | Kumasi | Baba Yara Stadium | 40,000 |
| Bechem United | Bechem | Nana Gyeabour's Park | 5,000 |
| Berekum Chelsea | Berekum | Sports Stadium | 5,000 |
| Bibiani Gold Stars | Bibiani | Dun's Park | 7,000 |
| Dreams FC | Dawu | Dawu Sports Stadium | 5,000 |
| Great Olympics | Accra | Accra Sports Stadium | 40,000 |
| Hearts of Oak | Accra | Accra Sports Stadium | 40,000 |
| Karela United | Aiyinase | CAM Stadium | 5,000 |
| King Faisal | Kumasi | Baba Yara Stadium | 40,000 |
| Kotoku Royals | Akim Oda | Akim Oda Stadium | 3,000 |
| Legon Cities | Accra | El Wak Stadium | 7,000 |
| Medeama | Tarkwa | TNA Park | 15,000 |
| Nsoatreman FC | Nsuatre | Nana Kronmansah Park | 2,000 |
| Real Tamale United | Tamale | Tamale Stadium | 21,017 |
| Samartex | Samreboi | Samartex Park | 7,000 |
| Tamale City FC | Tamale | Tamale Stadium | 21,017 |
Previous winners of the Ghana Premier League[edit]
- 1956: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 1957: no winner
- 1958: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 1959: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1960: Eleven Wise (Sekondi-Takoradi)
- 1961–62: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 1962–63: Real Republicans (Accra)
- 1963–64: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1964–65: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1966: Abandoned
- 1967: Mysterious Dwarves (Cape Coast)
- 1967–68: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1969: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1970: Great Olympics (Accra)
- 1971: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 1972: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1973: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 1974: Great Olympics (Accra)
- 1975: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1976: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 1977: Sekondi Hasaacas (Sekondi)
- 1978: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 1979: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 1980: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1981: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1982: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1983: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1984: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 1985: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 1986: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1987: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1988–89: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1989–90: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 1990–91: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1991–92: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1992–93: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 1993–94: Goldfields (Obuasi)
- 1994–95: Goldfields (Obuasi)
- 1995–96: Goldfields (Obuasi)
- 1996–97: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 1997–98: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 1999: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 2000: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 2001: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 2002: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 2003: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 2004–05: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 2005: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 2006–07: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 2007–08: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 2008–09: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 2009–10: Aduana Stars (Dormaa)
- 2010–11: Berekum Chelsea (Berekum)
- 2011–12: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 2012–13: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 2013–14: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 2015: Ashanti Gold (Obuasi)
- 2016: Wa All Stars (Wa)
- 2017: Aduana Stars (Dormaa)
- 2018: Abandoned
- 2019: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 2019–20: Abandoned
- 2020–21: Hearts of Oak (Accra)
- 2021–22: Asante Kotoko (Kumasi)
- 2022–23: Medeama