The Ghana League Clubs Association has called the bluff of Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak and insists even without them their season opening Top 8 event will be a huge success.

Kotoko and Hearts are unwilling to take part in the competition which was originally meant for the top 4 teams as determined by the previous season's league table. But GHALCA has decided to expand it to an eight-team event.

Hearts who finished outside the Top 4 say they did not plan for it and argue it will affect their preparations for the new season. Kotoko also insist they signed up for a Top 4 event and not a Top 8 event and that the new format will mean playing much more games when they have other plans.

With their huge following, GHALCA is set to lose out at least in attendance by acting general secretary Oduro Nyarko says they will thrive without the Porcupine Warriors and the Phobians.

"We must admit these two clubs are no more relevant to Ghana football and I believe even without them the tournament will be of more success," Interim GHALCA Secretary Oduro Nyarko told Angel FM.

"They have continuously been rejecting invitations to tournaments and that is a very bad precedent they are setting for the smaller teams to follow. But I promise Ghanaians the rest of the teams will continue to dominate in the local scene because Kotoko and Hearts are past their prime and can't offer any important contribution."