Former Ghana international Emmanuel Agyemang Badu has praised Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko for their impressive performance in the Democracy Cup.

The Porcupine Warriors triumphed over their rivals Hearts of Oak in an exciting match to win the inaugural Democracy Cup on Wednesday night at the Accra Sports Stadium. The event was organized to celebrate 30 years of parliamentary democracy in Ghana.

Kotoko's victory in the Democracy Cup has earned them a trip to the United States to play against Major League Soccer side DC United, with the date to be announced by the organizers.

Justice Blay put Kotoko ahead after 30 minutes with a penalty, giving them the lead at halftime. Hearts of Oak equalized in the second half with a header from new signing Asamoah Boateng Afriyie. However, Kotoko regained the lead when Peter Amidu capitalized on a defensive error by Hearts of Oak, securing a 2-1 victory for the Kumasi-based team.

In an interview, Badu described the Democracy Cup game as the most exciting Hearts-Kotoko match he has seen in the past two years.

“For the past two years, this is the most exciting Kotoko-Hearts game I have watched. In terms of passing, aggressiveness, and composure, I think everything was on point. Kotoko played well, especially in the first half. The likes of Emmanuel Antwi, Samba, Blay, and others took control in the middle,” he said.

Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak will continue their preparations for the new season, aiming to make a significant impact after a disappointing performance last term.