Kotoko suspects ‘foul play’ in Review Committee decision on Sukah

Kumasi Asante Kotoko has made open, the club’s suspicion of foul play in the Ghana Football Association’s Review Committee’s decision on referee Samuel Sukah’s penalty decision in the Super Clash against Accra Hearts Of Oak.

The Porcupine Warriors’ unbeaten 2016/17 GPL run was halted after Vincent Atingah converted from the penalty spot to give Hearts all three points, following defender, Ahmed Adams’ handling of the ball in the 18-yard box.

Days after the committee announced their decision, absolving Referee Sukah of all blame in awarding the penalty, Kotoko has released a statement on its website, detailing its displeasure.

The statement reads:

The Match Review of Committee of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has officially released their decision on events in the Super Clash, that’s the match day eight, 2016/17 Premier League fixture between Kotoko and Hearts on March 22, 2017 at the Accra Sports Stadium.

But in their haste to vindicate Referee Samuel Sukah, whose penalty decision was the subject of controversy in the big match, the Committee did not only overlook other critical points raised by Kotoko, notably the obvious foul on Baba Mahama in the box, that deserved to be punished; they strangely copied Great Olympics, not Kotoko who made the complaint.

How the Committee could make such a mistake in a case that has attracted media attention adds to the suspicion among Kotoko fans that, the Committee did a shoddy job as some fans have even questioned the authenticity of the video that purportedly vindicated the referee.

Referee Sukah, who handled the said match, awarded a penalty in the 82nd minute of the game on grounds that, defender Ahmed Adams used his hand to stop the ball in an attempt to prevent an onslaught by Hearts. Kotoko however rejected the referee’s decision and termed it as wrong in a letter to the FA, insisting that, television replays showed that, Adams did not handle the ball.

But in their decision, dated March 27, 2017 and signed by Club Licensing Manager, Emmanuel Dasoberi, the Committee claimed that, Referee Sukah was right “As the ball hit the arm of Kotoko’s defender in jersey number 14. The committee further noted that the defender took a risk in diving to head the ball, which hit his elbow”.