Officiating was extremely poor - Abdulai Gazale bemoans after Kotoko's stalemate against Karela

Asante Kotoko manager, Abdulai Gazale has blamed refereeing for his side's stalemate against Karela United on Monday, May 29, 2023.

Gazali claims referee, Imoro Osman denied Kotoko a penalty that could have decided the match.

According to the stop-gap coach, the game was competitive but the officiating was 'extremely poor'.

"The game was highly competitive, but the officiating was extremely poor. Due to the referee’s failure to award us a clear penalty that was in our favor, it was an obvious handball. You witnessed the crowd’s reaction, and this is truly disheartening,” he said at the post-match.

Kotoko took the lead in the first half through Rashid's own goal before Fatawu Mohammed pulled parity for the away side inside the 80th minute.

During the additional time, Augustine Randolph handled the ball after Solomon Sarfo Taylor's blocked shot hit the Karela defender's hand. The referee, however, waved play on.

The draw leaves Kotoko in fourth position with 48 points while Karela United drop into relegation with 41 points

EE/KPE