Bribery allegations: PFAG responds to Hearts of Oak's letter to Chibsah

The Professional Footballers Association of Ghana has responded to Accra Hearts of Oak letter to Yussif Chibsah over his allegations that an official from the club bribed some King Faisal players to lose a match.

Chibsah, in a recent interview, recounted an incident where Alhaji Grusah, the owner of King Faisal, discovered that a Hearts of Oak official had bribed some King Faisal players to intentionally lose a game.

Chibsah said, “When I was at King Faisal, there was a rumour that some players have been bribed. Alhaji called one of the players and went with the player to the stationary phone booth and called an official of Hearts of Oak and told the player to tell the man you haven’t received the money that was shared with the players," Chibsah told Joy Sports.

"The official just gave himself one when he said, go and see this person. There and there Alhaji Grusah said he was the mafia chairman," Chibsah stated.

In response, the management of Hearts of Oak SC challenged Chibsah to reveal the name of the said club official involved in the bribery incident.

"Management of Hearts of Oak is therefore requesting Mr Yusif Chibsah to publish, immediately, the name of the person(s) involved in the bribery allegation for investigations and the imposition of appropriate sanctions by the relevant authorities," the club said.

However, in a response to Hearts of Oak, PFAG stated that the issues raised by Chibsah occurred over 20 years ago and the story was told to warn current players to strive for integrity and turndown bribes.

The statement issued by PFAG General Secretary, Antony Baffoe stated, “With regard to the interview in question and the specific anecdote referred to, Mr Chibsah was recounting an event that occurred over 20 years ago to warn current players against accepting bribes and to advocate for the preservation of their reputation and integrity of the game.

PFAG went ahead to state that, “we reiterate that Mr Chibsah's remarks were not intended to cast doubt on the integrity of your esteemed club or any individual but rather to advance the cause of ethical conduct among current professional footballers.”

Read the full statement below

ATTENTION:

Response to Hearts of Oak concern's regarding Yussif Chibsah's personal interview.#WithThem #ForThem pic.twitter.com/PP3CVpHIhH

— PFAG (@PFAGofficial) May 31, 2023