Kintampo FC deserves fair punishment

Such a situation sometimes mar the beauty of the game especially in football which is considered as the game full of passion worldwide, the worlds football governing body FIFA and the various Associations have always tried to instill discipline and sanity into the game but to no avail.

Managers, Players, Officiating Officials, soccer fans and other stakeholders in the world of football sometimes allow their peculiar and personal interest overweighed them to act contrary to the rules governing the game.

In Ghana, the Football Association sometimes fails to conduct thorough investigations into matters of hooliganism before judgment, so the trust and confidence of the FA is diminished in the face of club managements, players and supporters who resorts to take the laws in their own hands especially at the lower divisions.

During the last round of matches of the first round of the zone one B of the Division League, a real test came across for the GFA and the Division One League Board (DOLB) to justify their legitimacy in the case involving Kintampo FC and Bechem Chelsea during their encounter at Kintampo which ended abruptly due to an alleged assault on an assistant referee. The GFA and the DOLB is to thoroughly investigate the unrest that caused the football match encounter between Kintampo FC and Bechem Chelsea FC to end abruptly at Kintampo on Sunday. It was allegedly reported that an official of the home team Kintampo FC assaulted the assistant referee one, when Kintampo FC was leading by a lone goal. The Centre referee, Mr. Kwame Nsiah Boafo insisted that due to the assault of his assistant, the match should be ended because the life of the officiating officials was not safe when the match was allowed to continue. Though hooliganism in football is an eyesore which should not be encouraged, the worries of many soccer fans within the Brong-Ahafo region was that why should a home team leading by a lone goal do such a thing regardless to the consequences that awaits them. A section of the public alleged that the decision of the centre Referee, Mr. Kwame Nsiah Boafo to end the match abruptly was through the influence of the CEO of Bechem Chelsea, Obiri Nketiah a.k.a Nana Kwame. They said Nana Kwame asked the Referee to end the match so that Kintampo FC would be punish, whilst Bechem Chelsea would be declared winners and awarded the three points. Information gathered was that the Centre Referee, Kwame Nsiah Boafo and one of the Assistant Referees, Richard Appiah contrary to the Football regulations was taken care of by the CEO of the away team instead of the home team. Reports available indicate that the two referees who reside in Kumasi were given a jolly ride from Kumasi by Nana Kwame through Bechem to Sunyani where they lodge at a hotel (name and room numbers withheld). Anybody would agree that Kumasi to Kintampo would be shorter when one uses the Techiman road instead of passing through Sunyani, but Nana Kwame lured the two to use the Sunyani route under his care just to influence them.

He took the two referees to Kintampo in his car, whilst the third referee who used the Techiman road was at Kintampo waiting for his colleagues officials assigned for the match.

It was reported that immediately the match ended, the referees again joined the CEO in his car back to Sunyani, which raises lots of suspicion among the soccer fans in Kintampo and the entire region, who are calling on the GFA and the DOLB to thoroughly go into the matter to ascertain the truth instead of rushing into passing judgment.

The culprit who allegedly attacked the assistant referee line one was arrested by the security present, therefore the FA and the DOLB should have enough time to conduct an effective investigation devoid of prejudice in order not to create a bad image for themselves on this matter due to one personâ??s interest.