Real Republicans FC (Accra)
Real Republicans Football Club were a Ghanaian association football club based in the capital, Accra, along with Hearts of Oak, one of the most successful Ghanaian clubs in recent years. The team won its only Ghana Premier League title in the 1962/63 season. This remains the club's only title to date, as they were dissolved in 1966 [1] at the height of their success. The team were more successful in the Ghanaian FA Cup than the league, winning four consecutive tournaments in the 1960s, which proved to be a great decade for the club. Republican's last FA Cup win in 1965 was also their last participation in the tournament, as there was no FA Cup in 1966, the year the club dissolved. Real Republicans were once seen as a model club for the rest of Ghanaian football [2] as they were established at a time when the first edition of a league system in Ghana resulted in chaos and ended with 6 of the 8 teams in the league boycotting in protest at the federation's leader. Edward Jonah Aggrey-Fynn, who was appointed captain of Real Republicans upon signing for the team in the late 1950s/early 1960s, went on to captain the Ghana national football team after showing great ability and leadership skills at club level. The club also found success in the CAF Champions League, reaching the semi-final of the competition in 1964/65. However, they were beaten 2-1 by opponents Oryx Douala from Cameroon on 31 January 1965 in front of 50,000 at the Accra Stadium and therefore did not reach the final. Oryx Douala went on to win the final against Stade Malien of Mali. Republicans had qualified for the tournament by winning their domestic league and then winning the "West Africa B" group consisting of league Champions from other countries.
Ghanaian FA Cup Wins
Year | Opponent |
---|---|
1961/62 | Hearts of Oak |
1962/63 | Cornerstones |
1963/64 | Great Ashantis |
1965 | Cornerstones |
See also
References
- ↑ World Football Archive - Dawu Youngstars Retrieved 26 July 2011
- ↑ GhanaWeb - Edward Jonah Aggrey-Fynn Retrieved 26 July 2011.