The 2026 Democracy Youth Cup got off to an exciting start on Tuesday, May 12, at the McDan Astroturf in Labadi, with several teams producing impressive performances on matchday one of the maiden youth tournament.

The opening ceremony of the competition was graced by First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Bernard Ahiafor and Clerk of Parliament Rev Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, who joined organisers and football stakeholders to officially usher in the tournament.

The Democracy Youth Cup, an initiative of Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin and organised by the Primeval Group, is aimed at promoting youth football development and discovering emerging talents across Ghana and beyond.

Earlier this week, the full fixtures for the tournament were confirmed following the official draw held on Monday, May 11, 2026, led by former Ghana Football Association Vice President Fred Pappoe.

On the pitch, Attram De Visser opened their campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Desideros before later edging Kotoku Shinning Star 3-2 in one of the most entertaining games of the day.

Cheetah FC also began brightly with a comfortable 2-0 win against Parin FC in their first game. However, they were unable to maintain the momentum as Charity Stars secured a convincing 2-0 victory over them later in the day.

J.P FC recorded a narrow 1-0 triumph over Great Padua to make a winning start in Group C.

In the biggest result of the day, Soccer Engineers produced a dominant display to thrash KITU Stars 4-0 and send a strong message to the rest of the competition.

The four-day tournament, running from May 12 to May 15, is expected to provide a major platform for young footballers to showcase their talents in front of scouts, coaches and football enthusiasts.

Matchday Two fixtures on May 13 will see J.P FC face Might Jet FC, while KITU Stars take on Stari Third World. Kotoku Shinning Star will battle Desideros, Charity Stars face Parin, Might Jet FC play Great Padua, and Stari Third World come up against MSK Zilina.

PAH/JE