Author: Victoria Kwofie – Senior sports writer
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Royal Ladies and Men’s teams have opened their 2026 Africa Cup for Club Championship (ACCC) campaign on a winning note in Harare, Zimbabwe, recording victories in their opening matches on Saturday, January 24.
The Royal Ladies of the Ghana Revenue Authority began their campaign with an impressive 2–0 victory over Kenyan side Lakers in their opening women’s match.
Vivian Narkuor opened the scoring for GRA in the second quarter before captain Elizabeth Opoku doubled the advantage in the third quarter to seal all three points for the Ghanaian champions.
Vivian Narkuor’s outstanding performance earned her the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Speaking after the game, Vivian expressed her delight while crediting teamwork and management support for the win. “We have trained and worked very hard towards this campaign. I told myself to go beyond what I achieved in the last ACCC, so I am happy with this award. But I couldn’t have done it alone, it’s 18 players as a team and 11 on the field. The support from my teammates and management made this victory possible,” she said.
The GRA men’s team also enjoyed a winning start, grinding out a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Zambia’s Hotspurs.
The match was keenly contested, with the first two quarters ending goalless and no penalty corners awarded to GRA. The Ghanaian side earned their first penalty corner in the third quarter but failed to convert, despite creating several more chances.
The decisive moment came late in the third quarter when Prince found the back of the net to give GRA the lead. Hotspurs piled on pressure in search of an equaliser, but goalkeeper and captain Eugene produced a series of crucial saves to preserve the win.
Eugene’s performance earned him the Man of the Match award. In a post-match interview, Eugene had this to say, “from the start of the league season, everything we did in training was geared towards coming here to perform and win this trophy.” We knew it wouldn’t be easy in the first match, but all we needed was composure and belief,” he said.
“Experience played a big role. Many of my players have featured in major competitions like the Commonwealth Games, while some are here for the first time. We had to blend the experienced players with the young ones, stay composed, and see the game through to the end.”
Both the GRA men’s and women’s teams will face Zimbabwean side Bawluwa in their next group matches as they continue their quest for continental glory at the Africa Cup for Club Championship.