The Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif has rallied support for the upcoming Democracy Cup match between Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday, July 5.

According to the Minister, the cup match affords Ghanaians the opportunity to unite ahead of the 2024 general elections slated for December 7.

The Democracy Cup match, under the theme "30 Years of Parliamentary Democracy Under the 4th Republic: The Journey Thus Far," seeks to use football as a vehicle for engaging citizens and encouraging wider participation in the legislative process.

Speaking in an interview, Mr. Ussif appreciated the leadership of Parliament for such a laudable initiative and urged Ghanaians to support the initiative in the promotion of peace.

"First of all, I want to thank the Speaker of Parliament for this Democracy Cup initiative, which is a laudable project.

"As we all know, football brings our nation together and leads to national cohesion. So for the initiative of the Democracy Cup, I want to urge all members of Parliament to participate, as well as the general public.

"As we head towards the election, this would bring us together, irrespective of our political affiliations, and help promote peace before, during, and after the elections," he said.

The highly anticipated match slated for Friday, July 5, 2024, would witness a curtain-raiser between Parliament and former Black Stars players before the main 'Super Clash' between Hearts and Kotoko.

A trophy tour has already begun to whip up awareness for the match, which will be the third meeting between the two clubs in a one-year span.

Asante Kotoko won the two recent encounters, and the Phobians, who narrowly escaped relegation this season, would be seeking revenge on July 5, 2024.