The long wait is finally over. The 2025/26 Premier League season officially kicks off on Sunday, August 31, with a mouthwatering Champion of Champions clash between Bibiani Gold Stars and Asante Kotoko at the Duns Park in Bibiani. Kick-off is at 3:00pm local time (15:00 GMT).
Gold Stars will step onto the pitch with history on their side after a remarkable campaign last season that saw them lift their maiden Premier League title. Their success came against fierce competition from Heart of Lions, Asante Kotoko, and Hearts of Oak, marking them as one of the rising forces in Ghanaian football.
This year’s contest represents Gold Stars’ debut appearance in the Champion of Champions, and the Miners are determined to make the most of the opportunity. With home support at Duns Park and confidence from their recent performances, they will be aiming to crown their fairy-tale rise with yet another piece of silverware.
For Asante Kotoko, the story is different but equally compelling. The Porcupine Warriors arrive in Bibiani as winners of the 2025 MTN FA Cup, determined to add another trophy to their illustrious collection. Kotoko are no strangers to this particular competition, having lifted the Champion of Champions title three times in a row—2012, 2013 and 2014, and their pedigree makes them formidable opponents.
With experience, tradition and a hunger to bounce back from losing out in the league race last season, Kotoko will be eager to show their strength in this season’s curtain-raiser.
The two sides are already familiar foes, having met during the GHALCA Top 4 tournament in pre-season. In that fixture, Gold Stars showed resilience by coming from behind to defeat Kotoko 2-1, before going on to win the competition at the University of Ghana.
That victory gives the Miners a psychological edge heading into Sunday’s showdown, though Kotoko’s experience in big games ensures that this contest remains finely balanced.
The Champion of Champions is more than just a ceremonial curtain-raiser. For Gold Stars, it represents the chance to validate their league triumph and make a statement of intent for the new campaign. For Kotoko, it offers the opportunity to remind rivals of their enduring dominance and to begin the season with silverware.
With Gold Stars riding high on momentum and Kotoko relying on tradition and experience, Sunday’s clash has all the ingredients of a classic. Fans can expect a charged atmosphere at Duns Park as two determined sides battle for the right to lift the first trophy of the 2025/26 season.