Premier League: Match Called Off

The scheduled Onetouch Premier League match between Sekondi Hasaacas and Real Tamale United (RTU) was called off because of a clash of jerseys by the two teams.

Both Hasaacas and RTU put on green jerseys for the match but during the pre-match meeting at about 2.30 p.m., Nana Justice Morgan, the Match Commissioner, asked RTU to change their jerseys because Hasaacas had registered to use green jerseys for their home matches.

He said according to the rules of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), every team has to have alternative jerseys for their away matches which they have to change to when there is clash of jerseys.

RTU however did not have alternative jerseys and told the match officials that their alternative jerseys were being transported from Accra to Sekondi.

When by 3.30 p.m., the jerseys had not arrived, Referee Nathaniel Plange whistled to call off the match.

Meanwhile RTU have protest the decision of referee Nathaniel Plange to declare them losers of the match.

The Tamale-based club was said to have been declared losers after allegedly refusing to change their jerseys after a clash of colours with the home side, Hasaacas.

Speaking to GNA Sports in a telephone chat, Abdul Kadir Ibrahim, Secretary of RTU expressed shock at the referee's decision to declare them the losers despite agreeing to change the colours. Ibrahim noted that RTU's away strip is light green with that of Hasaacas being deep green but they were shocked at the referee's claim of a "Clash of Colours", despite their using the same kit last season. He explained that after 25 minutes of exchanges, they agreed to change into their home strip, which is blue and returned to the pitch for the game to commence

Ibrahim, however, said to their surprise ten minutes later referee Plange after consultations with some persons, whom he described as not being the match officials decided to call off the match with a claim of awarding the points to Hasaacas. The Secretary said that the referee's final decision was influenced by officials of Hasaacas who confronted him in the heat of the exchanges.

Ibrahim said that his team would lodge an official protest to the Professional League Board (PLB) for the appropriate ruling to be taking.