Great Olympics protest against Legon Cities fails

The GFA Disciplinary Committee has dismissed Great Olympics protest against Legon Cities in respect of their Ghana Premier League Match day 10 fixture played at the Accra Stadium.

Great Olympics protested against Legon Cities for allegedly playing in a strip that is not registered with the Association in an official match contrary to Article 16(1) (1) and 16(1)(d) of the Premier League Regulations (2019).

Great Olympics also stated that Legon Cities allegedly fielded an unqualified player in the person of Yussif Fadili in the said match contrary to Article 28(1) (e) of the Premier League Regulations (2019).

Below are the findings of the Committee and the Grounds for its decision:

The Petitioner stated that the Respondent should suffer forfeiture for playing in an unregistered strip contrary to Article 16(1)(a), Article 33(1)(i) & 33 (4)(b) of the Premier League Regulations.

They alleged that Player No. 2 of Legon Cities for wore unregistered hose for most part of the first half of the match in question in contravention of Article 16(1)(a).

Secondly, the Petitioners protested that Legon Cities fielded an unqualified player in the person of Yussif Fadili in the said match, contrary to Article 28(1)(e) of the Premier League Regulations (2019).

This Committee has read the Petition, the Response and the evidence before it, and finds as follows:

The GFA’s Competition’s Department assigned the following colours to Legon Cities FC:

Red & Royal Blue Shirts, Red & Royal Blue Shorts and Red & Royal Blue hose/stockings for outfield players; and

Green shirts, Green shorts and Green hose/stockings for the Goalkeepers.

The Committee finds that Legon Cities FC presented the assigned strips at the Pre-Match Technical meeting. They find therefore that Legon Cities presented their registered strips for both outfield players and the Goalkeeper.

On the claim that player Abdul Karim Jabila wore a Blue unregistered hose/stocking as seen in the pictorial evidence presented by the petitioners, the Committee finds that instead it appears he had pulled his hose over the red on the hose. Therefore, the red was not visible which perhaps gave Accra Great Olympics FC the impression that it was a blue hose and not Red & Royal Blue.

The Committee read the Caution letters sent to all Clubs by the Competitions Department. They find that Yussif Fadili received yellow cards on Match days 1, 2, 6 and 9 before they played Accra Great Olympics FC on Matchday 10.

The Committee finds that after receiving three cautions (Match days 1, 2 and 6), the player was not featured on Matchday 7, thereby serving his automatic suspension.

6.By serving the suspension on Matchday 7, the player Yussif Fadili was therefore eligible to play on Match day 10 despite receiving a caution on Match day 9.

It is the position of this Committee that Legon Cities did not breach Article 16(1)(a) and Article 16(1)(d) of the Premier League Regulations with regards to player Abdul Karim Jabila.

It is also clear to this Committee that Yussif Fadili was qualified to play in the match against Accra Great Olympics FC and that Legon Cities FC did not breach Article 28(1)(e) of the Premier League Regulations. The Protest shall therefore fails on both grounds.

DECISIONS:

The Committee therefore makes the following decisions:

The protest of Accra Great Olympics FC must fail, as the strips used by Legon Cities FC and player Abdul Karim Jabila were all duly registered with the GFA pursuant to Article 16(1)(a) of the Premier League Regulations.

That player Yussif Fadili was qualified to play in the match against Accra Great Olympics FC.

That Accra Great Olympics FC is hereby fined an amount of Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHc5,000.00) for bringing a frivolous protest to the Disciplinary Committee pursuant to Article 35(14) of the Premier League Regulations.

That should any party be dissatisfied with or aggrieved by this Decision, the party has within one (1) days of being notified of this Ruling to appeal to the Appeals Committee of the Ghana Football Association {See Article 35(10) of the Premier League Regulations of the GFA}.