Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, the head coach of Hearts of Oak, has praised the hosts of the Democracy Cup, saying that the timing of this year's competition is perfect for his team's preparations.
On September 5, the Phobians will play Great Olympics, their city rivals, at the University of Ghana Stadium in the second edition of the yearly match, which honors Ghana's democratic credentials.
The match serves as a competitive test for both clubs ahead of the 2025–26 Ghana Premier League season, which begins just one week from now.
Dramani, who was previously vocal about the GHALCA Top 4 tournament's scheduling, thinks the Democracy Cup is a good fit for his team's preseason schedule.
"First of all, I want to express my gratitude to the organizers for choosing this time frame for the Democracy Match event," he added.
It allows you to put your players to the test in terms of the periodization schedule. We live in a time when you have to play high-profile games, and the Olympics are a high-profile club. You can not undervalue that rivalry, regardless of the level at which the two teams are competing.
Hearts are certain that they will enter the game with the proper vigor and dedication, the coach continued.
Twellium Industrial Company provided the team at Pobiman with cartons of water and energy drinks on Thursday, which further aided preparations.
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Algerian shooters aim for the end.
It would be understandable for the backlines of Guinea and Botswana to tremble at the thought of reuniting with Algeria in the FIFA World Cup 26 qualifiers. With 16 goals distributed among ten different scorers, Les Verts lead the African preliminary standings after six rounds of play.
FIFA highlights some of the Algerian goal scorers who have shown their scoring prowess in Group G thus far in anticipation of that doubleheader. They will be looking to lead their nation to two victories that might be sufficient to guarantee a spot in the championship the following year.
Amoura Mohamed
Amoura has steadily made a name for himself as a rising star and a consistent starter for the team, scoring 13 goals in 33 games to move up into the top ten scorers in his nation.
Gouiri Amine
Similar to Amoura, Gouiri might remain a mainstay in Algeria's lineup for many years to come. After leaving Rennes, the seasoned attacker had an incredible second half of the 2024–25 season with Marseille, tallying 10 goals and dishing out three assists in 14 Ligue 1 games.
In the last match against Botswana, he also scored. Next month, he will try to earn additional stripes against the Zebras and Guinea. After France's victory over Botswana in March, the former youth international told FIFA, "We will give it our all and do everything we can to qualify for the World Cup, because we have missed two in a row since we last qualified."
The former Lyon, Nice, and Rennes star has all the qualities needed to contribute significantly to Algeria. Since making his debut for his country in 2023, he has scored six goals in 15 appearances. As he competes with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for playing time in Marseille's UEFA Champions League this season, he has the chance to continue honing his skills at the greatest level.
Aouar Houssem
After failing to reach the heights that many had anticipated during his time at Roma in 2023–24, Aouar has found his magic again since joining Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, where he has flourished under Laurent Blanc's leadership.
With victories in the Saudi Pro League and the King's Cup, the attacking midfielder has already made a name for himself in the Kingdom and won his first two titles. In terms of goals, he has also reached new heights. Last season, he scored 13 goals, smashing his previous personal best of nine goals, which he had set at Lyon in 2019–20.
Petkovic has taken notice of the 27-year-old's performances and is optimistic that Aouar will often dazzle spectators while wearing an Algeria shirt. After playing for his own country at the U-17 and U-21 levels, the slick schemer, who attended Lyon's academy, made one appearance for France in a senior friendly. In 2023, he changed his international team and scored five goals for the Fennecs in 14 games.
Benrahma
Benrahma started and scored the game-winning goal against Uganda earlier in the season, but he has mostly been limited to a supersub role for his country. But if he keeps playing well for Christophe Galtier's team, the livewire, who has also played for Brentford, Angers, and Nice in the past, might still make a comeback to his nation's starting lineup.
Bounedjah Baghdad
He scored 19 goals in 23 games for his new employers, Al Shamal. Regarding the path to the World Cup the following year, the veteran led the line and broke the tie in Algeria's victory over Somalia to start the campaign.
Bounedjah is always prepared to respond to his nation's call, and after missing the March qualifiers, he will be eager to get back into the fold as quickly as possible and add to his 32 goals for his country. With this total, he joins Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani as the third-highest scorer in his country.
Chaibi Fares
The 22-year-old has not fully developed in Germany, despite showing flashes of his potential, and coach Dino Toppmoller appears to have assigned him a more defensive role this season. Chaibi has struggled to establish himself in Petković's starting lineup, so this move might give him a new lease on life both at the club and international levels.
On the second matchday of this qualifying campaign, the youthful player contributed the first goal in the 2-0 victory over Mozambique. He will look to repeat his performance in the forthcoming games, either as an anchorman or going forward.