The Normalization Committee of the Ghana Football Association has released a statement to explain issues on the list of referees submitted to FIFA.
Retired class one referee Silas Okine a few days ago petitioned GFA Normalisation Committee over submission of some referee names to FIFA for their badges.
A Press Release from the Normalization Committee on Thursday morning clarified the issue on some purported names sent to FIFA for their badges.
An official statement reads:
The Ghana Football Association’s attention has been drawn to inaccurate reports about the authenticity of the list of Ghanaian referees which was submitted to FIFA recently by the GFA.
The inaccurate and misleading reports alleged that the said fitness test was conducted by the Referees Association of Ghana (RAG) and that certain referees who failed the test had their names included in the list which was submitted to FIFA.
The GFA responds as follows:
1. The fitness test was conducted under the strict supervision of accredited FIFA and CAF Instructor Dr Anthony Tetteh Opai in Kumasi on October 12, 2018.
2. In the absence of a substantive Referees Committee (which reports to the Technical Directorate of the GFA) following the dissolution of all standing committees, the GFA Technical Director, Mr Francis Oti Akenteng observed the fitness test.
3. Only names of referees passed by the FIFA Instructor, Dr Opai were submitted to FIFA by the GFA.
4. On the issue of alleged falsification of ages by some referees, the GFA’s IT Department already has data on all referees and these data were cross-checked before the list was sent to FIFA. It is therefore, false that some referees falsified their ages.
Finally, the Normalization Committee of the GFA wishes to assure all football stakeholders and the general public that it is committed to reforming and restoring confidence in refereeing and Ghana football.
Thank you.
Read also: RAG misleads Normalisation Committee in selection of referees to FIFA- Ex-referee Silas Okine