Retired Ghanaian referee, Emmanuel Okoampah
Retired Ghanaian referee, Emmanuel Okoampah has recounted a horrifying incident at a Premier League venue that nearly resulted in his death.
It was a Premier League game between Accra Hearts of Oak and Soccer Missionaries at Assin Fosu and the Phobians won the game via a controversial goal.
Recounting the incident that occurred in April 1990 in an interview with Dan Kwaku Yeboah, referee Okoampah indicated that the confusion arose after he used discretion to award a throw-in to Hearts of Oak.
He continued that the throw-in incident triggered a number of events that led to Hearts of Oak scoring a goal through then poster-boy Shamo Quaye.
Referee Okoampah explained that following Shamo Quaye’s goal, the Missionaries supporters who had been silent about his decision with the throw-in found their voice and protested the decision.
The situation escalated with some supporters of Missionaries storming the pitch and pelting him with stones and missiles.
“There was a throw-in incident in the game toward the Hearts of Oak end of the post. The linesman didn’t see who had the last touch. I was also looking at the linesman and banking my hopes on him. I ruled against Fosu and linesman ruled in favor of them.
They allowed Hearts of Oak to do the throw-in. Hearts of Oak nearly scored but it was cleared and they had a corner. Ben Owu punched the ball and Shamo Quaye chested the ball and fired a low shot and scored.
The supporters begun charging at me over the throw-in decision. I had to run for my life. They started me pelting my with stones and objects. The police officers were protecting but they were also scared and asked me to stay at one place,” he said.
On the same platform, referee Emmanuel Okoampah also detailed how a minister under the Rawlings administration instructed him to show bias in a football game between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko.
Without giving details of the date of the match, ex-referee Okoampah disclosed that the game which was a Presidential cup played during the Rawlings administration had the presence of then Vice President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills.
He reminded them of their oath to be fair and firm in the application of the rules that govern the game.
Referee Okompah said that during the first half of the game, players of Hearts of Oak were falling over in anticipation of fouls but he stood his ground.
He added the said minister bumped into their changing room during the half-time break and protested the conduct of him and his assistants.
“I handled a game between them (Hearts) and Kotoko and they won. Two weeks after I was assigned to a game between them and Kotoko again. It was an anniversary cup. We were in the dressing room when a minister came. It wasn’t ET Mensah.
“He told us that the cup must stay in Accra which means Hearts had to win. We responded in the affirmative but once he left I told the linesmen that our reputation was at stake and that we should handle the game without any bias. I told them to be fair but they were tensed. In the first half, the Hearts players were falling apart looking for a penalty but I ignored them.
“After the first half break, the man came into the dressing room protesting that some big men were not happy with our decisions. He was a minister under Rawlings but I won't mention his name,” he said.
EE/KPE
