Michael oti Adjei BBC Sport, Accra

Ghana Football Association officials have asked the Confederation of African Football to postpone the 2004 Confederation Cup final between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.

The first leg is due to be played on Sunday at the Accra Sports Stadium - Hearts' home ground, and GFA officials told BBC Sport they hope Caf will agree to a request to play the game "sometime in January 2005."

There are fears that tensions could escalate with the big match coming just days before the country's presidential elections scheduled for 7 December.

Hearts and Kotoko are considered to be much more than football institutions - with the two teams believed to be linked to the two biggest political parties in Ghana.

While Kotoko are associated with the ruling New Patriotic Party, Hearts are often linked with the opposition National Democratic Congress.

The country's security chiefs say they are unable to provide adequate security for the two legs in Accra 28 November and Kumasi on 12 December.

But Kotoko chief executive Major Yaw Larsen told BBC Sport he was not in favour of postponing the match.

"We have spent a lot of money to prepare for this game so the likelihood of a postponement is a problem for us.