Ashgold, Kotoko to vie for SIC Nyemitei-SWAG Cup

Kumasi Asante Kotoko and AshantiGold will battle for this year’s SIC Nyemitei-SWAG Cup match later this month in Kumasi, Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) president, Kwabena Yeboah, has announced.

At a press briefing in Accra yesterday, Mr Yeboah said the decision to choose Kotoko and AshantiGold to compete in the November 29 encounter at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium was based on merit and current performance.

According to him, Kotoko was chosen as being the most successful team in the history of the competition after winning the coveted trophy 13 times out of 19 appearances with Ashgold winning it four times in addition to being the current Premier League champions.

“We finally chose Kotoko to compete with AshantiGold based on merits and performance. The former remains the most successful team in the history of the competition with AshantiGold being the defending champions,” he said.

The Corporate Affairs Manager at SIC Insurance Limited, Nana Yaw Mantey, noted that his outfit had signed an agreement with SWAG to sponsor the competition, played annually since 1972, in honour of the late Henry Plange Nyemitei, a former Chief Patron of SWAG and onetime Deputy Managing Director of SIC.

The late Nyemitei was the second chairman of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) between 1960 and 1966 and a former chairman of Accra Hearts of Oak.

Mr Mantey noted that SIC Insurance, which had sponsored the competition for over three decades, was determined to ensure the revival of the H.P.Nyemitei-SWAG Cup which was last played in 2009, in fulfilment of the company’s commitment the development of the nation’s passion, football.

“We have a long standing relationship with SWAG to honour H.P. Nyemitei for his efforts in the development of sports in the country,” he said. He announced that a new trophy for the competition, would be unveiled during a press launch in Kumasi in two weeks’ time.