The winners of the 2026 Democracy Cup between Ghanaian rivals Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak could be invited to the United States for an exhibition match in May 2027, under a proposed partnership between Ghana’s Parliament and the BABA Festival.
The two clubs are due to meet in this year’s Democracy Cup on Friday, 28 August 2026. If the proposal is approved, the winning side would travel to Antelope Valley, California, to play a partner team as part of the festival.
The proposed fixture is included in a letter dated 18 August 2026 from Ambassador Christian P. Richards Jr., founder and president of Choosing Independence, to the Clerk to Parliament, Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror.
“We therefore propose that Parliament extend this tradition to Los Angeles,” the letter stated.
It also suggested that “the winning club of the 2026 Democracy Cup be invited to travel to Antelope Valley, California, to play a match against a partner team in May 2027.”
The BABA Festival is intended to strengthen links between Africa and the African-American diaspora. Organisers believe the match could become one of its main sporting events while helping to promote the principles associated with the Democracy Cup.
They have asked Ghana’s Parliament to become a strategic partner in the project. Under the proposal, the Democracy Cup and Parliament’s civic engagement initiatives through sport would feature prominently in the festival’s programme and communications.
Organisers say the proposed game would offer an opportunity to present the Democracy Cup’s message of unity and democratic maturity to African-American audiences. They also see it as a platform for cultural and sporting exchange involving members of the Ghanaian diaspora and African Americans.
According to the proposal, the fixture could create “a shared moment of pride, competition, and connection” for those communities.
The letter described the proposed visit to the United States as a natural continuation of the Democracy Cup’s previous international engagements. It also said the organisers were prepared to work with Parliament on the logistics, timing and format of the event.
No final decision has been announced. The proposal has been submitted to Parliament for consideration.
The result of Friday’s match between Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak would determine which club could represent the Democracy Cup in Antelope Valley if the plan is approved.
The Democracy Cup brings together two of Ghana’s most prominent football rivals, with the 2026 final set to decide not only this year’s winner but potentially which side would be offered the chance to appear at the BABA Festival in California.
