The Otobela lads have their noses in front to make it out of Zone 1 to the elite committee
Ghana Football Association’s disciplinary committee has ruled in favour of Bofoakwa Tano following their protest against Unity FC.
The Sunyani-based club has been awarded three points and three goals and could be heading g straight to Ghana Premier League as they lead Real Tamale United six points with three matches to go although the latter has an outstanding case against B.A United which is yet to be heard.
Statement of fact:
Bofoakwa Tano FC (the Petitioner) protested against Unity FC for presenting Nana
Yaw Mustapha as the Head Coach though according to the Petitioner he is not
qualified to handle a Division One League Club per the GFA Rules and Regulations.
It is also the case of the Petitioner that, the Respondent’s Club President Richmond
Osei who was on the bench of Unity FC and in the inner perimeter has been banned
by the GFA Ethics Committee from taking part in all football related activities for a
period of five months.
The Petitioner argued that the Head Coach and President of the Unity FC should be
punished for deceiving the GFA in their match against Bofoakwa Tano FC.
According to the Petitioner, a fine of GHc10,000 which was imposed on the President
of Unity FC Richmond Osei has still not been paid.
The Petitioner added that contrary to the decision of the Ethics Committee, Richmond
Osei continues to engage in football related activities.
DEFENCE OF UNITY FC
The Respondent in their Statement of Defence stated that Unity FC did not use an
unqualified coach in their Division One league match against Bofoakwa Tano FC.
According to the Respondent, their coach Emmanuel Ofori Asumadu has not been part
of the Club after a mutual termination of his contract.
The Respondent stated that it was at a loss as to why the Petitioner generated such a
name and included him on their team sheet. According to the Respondent, the 4th Official inspected the cards and names of the Unity FC bench before the start of the
game.
The Respondent also stated that the Club’s President Richmond Osei was banned by
the GFA and has subsequently appealed against the decision with a Stay of Execution.
The Respondent added that Richmond Osei was not with the Team in their Matchday
20 game against Bofoakwa Tano FC.
The Respondent also protested against the unsporting behavior of Alphonse Cudjoe
Agbetsitse and Gilbert Amenano, Director of Operations and Director of Administration
before, during and after the match. It is the contention of the Respondent that the
protest is without merit and should be dismissed.
FINDINGS AND GROUNDS OF THE DECISION
The Petitioner stated that the Respondent should suffer forfeiture for a breach of Article 33.1(e)
of the GFA Division One League Regulations in their Matchday 20 game at the Kenyasi Town
park.
Article 33.1(e) states that:
“A team commits an offence punishable by forfeiture of a match where it fields an
unqualified player(s) or team official(s)”
It is the case of the Petitioner that Unity FC fielded two unqualified officials in the persons of Nana Yaw Mustapha (Coach) and Richmond Osei who is serving a ban from all football related activities.
It was found that in the Competition’s Management System (CMS), the following were the Team Officials for Unity FC in their Matchday 20 game against Bofoakwa Tano FC:
MALIK ABDUL JAAFAR – GHA099361M
ALHASSAN LATIF ABUBAKARI – GHA089739M
IDDRISU ABUBAKARI – GHA123321M
BENJAMIN AMEYAW – GHA099320M
BISMARK ASANTE – GHA089750M
ALEX BOBOLE – GHA099419M
RICHMOND OSEI – GHA099419M
It was also found that the same list has been deposited with the Competitions Department as Team Officials for Unity FC. The Committee finds that the name Nana Yaw Mustapha is not
included in the list and is not named as an official of the Club. The Petitioner failed to provide any evidence to back the claim that Nana Yaw Mustapha, who is NOT an official of Unity FC
was indeed on the team’s bench as Head Coach.
The Committee also noted that both the Referee and the Match Commissioner did not mention in their respective reports that Unity FC had an extra person on their bench contrary to the list they presented to the GFA. The claim by the Petitioner that Nana Yaw Mustapha was on the bench of the Respondent as Head Coach cannot hold.
On Richmond Osei, the Committee found that he was banned by the GFA Ethics Committee
on Monday December 14, 2020 for a period of five months and fined a total amount of
GHc10,000.
The ban on Richmond Osei which started on December 14, 2020 was expected to end on
May 13, 2021. The Committee finds that Richmond Osei was ineligible to be on the bench in their Matchday 20 game against Bofoakwa Tano FC which was played on May 9, 2021.
It was confirmed that Richmond Osei sent a letter to the GFA purporting to appeal against the decision but checks from the Accounts department shows that he failed to pay the required filing fees. Also, the Committee found that contrary to claims by the Respondent, Richmond Osei did not apply for a Stay of Execution and did not pay for same.
In effect, Richmond Osei was still serving a ban from all football related activities when he appeared on the team sheet and also sat on the bench of Unity FC in their match against
Bofoakwa Tano FC. The video recording of the said match clearly indicated that Richmond Osei was seen in the inner perimeter and also sat on the bench of Unity FC. The Committee further found that Richmond Osei failed to comply with the decision of the GFA Ethics
Committee by failing to pay the total fine of GHc10,000 which was imposed on him in the
ruling.
Clearly, Richmond Osei was unqualified to be at the match and unqualified to sit on the bench of Unity FC in their match against Bofoakwa Tano which was played on May 9, 2021.
DECISIONS
The Committee therefore makes the following decisions:
1. It is the holding of this Committee that for allowing an unqualified official, Richmond Osei to sit on its bench in the said match, Unity FC shall forfeit the match.
2. That having forfeited the match, Unity FC shall be considered as having lost the match and accordingly three (3) points and three (3) goals shall be awarded in favour of Bofoakwa Tano FC in accordance with Article 33(2) of the Division One League Regulations.
3. That Unity FC shall lose 3 points from the club’s accumulated points from other
previous matches in accordance with Article 33(5)(b) of the Division One League
Regulations.
4. That Unity FC shall be fined Two Thousand and Five Hundred Ghana Cedis (GH¢2,500.00), 50% of which shall go to the Bofoakwa Tano FC.
5. That pursuant to Article 33(5)(c) of the Division One League Regulations, Unity
FC is fined an amount of GHc500 as transportation expenses of the away team.
6. That for failing to comply with the decisions of the GFA Ethics Committee,
Richmond Osei is referred to the GFA Prosecutor to be charged.
7. That the fines mentioned in Decisions 4 and 5 above, shall be paid to the GFA
within fourteen (14) days upon receipt of this Ruling, failing which Unity FC shall
forfeit their subsequent matches after the said deadline.