Hearts of Oak head coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani has praised the organisers of the Democracy Cup for what he described as the good timing of the competition.

The Phobians will take on city rivals Great Olympics on September 5 at the University of Ghana Stadium in the second edition of the annual game to celebrate Ghana’s democracy.

Dramani, who was previously critical of the timing of the GHALCA Top 4 tournament, said the Democracy Cup presents his team with a strong opportunity to test their readiness for the upcoming season, which kicks off a week after the game.

“First of all, I would like to thank the organisers for scheduling the Democracy Match event around this period,” he said.

“It gives you the opportunity to really bring your players to test in terms of the periodisation calendar. We are in a phase where you have to be playing high-profile games, and so the Olympics is a high-profile club, and playing against a Division One side, top-tier side means that you are playing close to an equal Premier-based side.

“You know the two teams have their traditions, and that tradition goes with its own rivalry, and that rivalry is something that cannot be underestimated, irrespective of which level the two teams find themselves. So we attach all the seriousness that it employs in preparing and then trying to execute.

“We are very, very positive that we’ll come with the right energy, we’ll come with the right effort, and then we’ll try to perform to the best of our abilities.”

Hearts of Oak head coach Didi Dramani commends organisers of the Democracy Cup for the competition’s ‘good timing’#JoySports pic.twitter.com/cdi6eQHrFH

— #JoySports (@JoySportsGH) August 28, 2025

Preparations for the clash received a boost on Thursday when Twellium Industrial Company donated cartons of water and energy drinks to the squad at their Pobiman training base.