Accra: Accra Hearts of Oak have withdrawn from the 2026 GHALCA Top-4 Tournament, citing schedule conflicts with pre-arranged club activities and concerns over preparations for the upcoming league season. The club announced the decision in a statement on Tuesday, saying the dates set for the pre-season competition clash with existing commitments and could disrupt its plans for the 2026/27 football season.
According to Ghana News Agency, the club had engaged the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) to have the tournament dates adjusted to enable its participation, but the efforts did not result in a change to the schedule. The club said it had carefully assessed the situation and concluded that withdrawing from the competition was the most appropriate decision.
'The decision has been taken due to clashes between the scheduled dates of the tournament and other pre-agreed programmes of the club. Additionally, considering the tournament's closeness to the commencement of the new league season, the club believes that participating at this time would present challenges to its existing preparations and commitments,' the statement said.
The Phobians expressed appreciation to GHALCA for organising the competition and wished the participating clubs success in the tournament. Hearts of Oak also reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining a strong working relationship with GHALCA and the wider Ghana football community.