Two match officials incur the wrath of GFA

Referee Gabriel O. Arhin and Assistant Referee Peter Dawsa have been suspended for the rest of the 2020/21 football season and the first eight matches of the first round of next season.

The GFA Match Review Panel announced this decision after reviewing the video recording of the Ghana Premier League Week 19 match between Ashantigold SC and Hearts of Oak played at the Len Clay Stadium in Obuasi.

Below are the decisions taken by the Review panel at its last meeting:

1. COMPLAINT BY HEARTS OF OAK – (ASHGOLD VS HEARTS)

SUMMARY OF COMPLAINT

1. Goalkeeper of Ashantigold, Kofi Mensah moved from the base line before Victor Aidoo of Hearts of Oak kicked the penalty. The penalty should have been retaken once the goalkeeper moved off his line but Referee Gabriel O. Arhin and Assistant Referee Peter Dawsa ignored it in the 17th minute of the 1^st half.
2. The referee and his assistant took a penalty against Hearts of Oak in the 91st minute when the ball touched the body (pelvic) of Fatawu Mohammed before hitting his arm which was in a natural position.

After watching the video, the Panel observed that the goalkeeper blatantly moved off the goal line in between the goal post before the kicker kicked the ball.

It was also observed that the penalty awarded should not have been a penalty because the ball hit the player’s hip before touching the hand, per the law under handball, it is not an offence if the ball touched a player’s hand/arm directly from the players own head or body: including the foot.

DECISION(S)

The Panel therefore recommend that Referee Gabriel O. Arhin and Assistant Referee Peter Dawsa be suspended from all football activities for the rest of the 2020/21 football and half of next season’s first round (i.e eight (8) matches of next football season).

2. COMPLAINT BY STAR MADRID – ACHIKEN VS STAR MADRID

2. SUMMARY OF COMPLAINT

According to Star Madrid FC at about 55 minute into the match, Star Madrid player Eric Tuffour in jersey number 18 was elbowed in the face - an incident that ended him in the hospital with disfigured face. He sustained a fracture, the referee failed to caution Achiken FC’s players

They also made the following claims that in the 85^th minute, a questionable foul was awarded to Achiken FC which gave them the equalizer. Also, Star Madrid stated that Achiken’s  goal scored in the 89^th minute is also questionable from the angle the goal was scored.

Star Madrid further stated that player Richard McCarthy in jersey number 23 was brought down in Achiken's 18 yard box but the referee rather awarded a foul against them in the 92nd minute and in the 95^th minute a handball in Achiken FC’s 18 box through a re-bound but the referee and his assistant two overlooked it and ignored the penalty.

After watching the video of the match, the Match Review panel observed the following:

1. The 55^th minute incident - there was No elbowing it was a head collision.
2. The 85^th minute incident - there was a foul. There was second movement of an opponent leg that caused the foul.
3. The 89^th minute - the goal scored was a perfect goal. There was nothing wrong with the goal.
4. The 92^nd and 95^th complaint, per the video watched, there was no offense committed.

DECISION(S)

The officials are exonerated and commended for their good decisions.