Just in: GFA reinstate Techiman City FC ahead of Division One League season

The Ghana Football Association has reinstated Techiman City FC ahead of the start of the 2020-21 National Division One League.

The 12-member Executive Council has tempered justice with mercy after reinstating the club ahead of the new campaign.

This means that Techiman City FC will be able to participate in the Division One League Zone 1.

The second-tier side was suspended provisionally by the Ghana Football Association in September 2020.

This was after the club went to court to place an interlocutory injunction on the 26th Ordinary Congress.

A Ghana FA statement read: "The Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) in the exercise of its powers under Article 39(n) of the GFA Statutes 2019 has suspended Techiman City Football Club provisionally until the next Congress of the GFA for violating the Statutes of the Association."

Article 39(n) of the GFA Statutes 2019 states as follows: "The Executive Council shall have the following powers: Dismiss a member of a body of GFA provisionally or suspend a Member of GFA provisionally until the next Congress."

"It is very clear from the admission requirements under Article 13 and 16(1)(f) of the GFA Statutes 2019 that a member of the GFA will not take matters of interpretation and application of the FIFA, CAF and GFA Statutes, Regulations, decisions and directives to the ordinary courts, unless the FIFA Statutes or regulations, CAF Statutes or the GFA regulations, or binding national law, provide for a stipulate recourse to Ordinary courts."

"Where there are violations, Article 17.1 of the GFA Statues 2019 states that "the Congress is responsible for suspending a Member."

"The Executive Council may, however, temporarily suspend a Member that seriously and/or repeatedly violates its obligations as a Member with immediate effect. The suspension approved by the Executive Council shall last until the next Congress unless the Executive Council has lifted it in the meantime".

Article 17(3) of the GFA Statutes also states that "A suspended Member shall lose its membership rights. Other Members may not entertain sporting contact with a suspended Member. The Disciplinary Committee may impose further sanctions."

Consequently, Techiman City FC was provisionally suspended by the Ghana Football Association until the next GFA Congress, where the delegates will be presented with the matter on the agenda for Congress to take a decision on the issue in accordance with the Statutes of the Association.

But the GFA has lifted the suspension, days before the start of the new season.