Abedi is NOT banned

THE Ghana Football Association has denied handing Abedi Pele Ayew a ban from all football activities as media reports have suggested.

Responding to an enquiry from the South Africa 2010 Local Organising Committee's Chief Executive Officer, Danny Jordaan on the scope of the ban, the GFA has clarified into detail the one-year suspension handed the former Black Stars captain and owner of Nania FC.

A GFA statement in response read: "We confirm that Abedi Pele Ayew has not been banned from all football activities by the Ghana Football Association as been alleged by the media.

“For the avoidance of doubt, he has been specifically banned from entering any football dressing/changing rooms and from sitting on the substitute benches for any matches organised or sanctioned by the Ghana Football Association for a period of one year,” the GFA statement explained.

Following the one-year ban handed Abedi Pele, the South Africa 2010 Ambassador, for his club"s (FC Nania) role in playing a non-competitive match during the last day of the national Middle League, the Ghanaian’s role in the 2010 World Cup raised eyebrows amongst South Africa’s media.

With pressure mounting, the SA 2010 Local Organising Committee declined to take any action but rather sought for factual information from the GFA before deciding on Abedi’s role ahead of the World Cup finals.

The Disciplinary Committee of the GFA found four Division One clubs, team officials and some 46 players guilty for their roles in playing in a non-competitive match during the last day of the promotion league. The four clubs - Mighty Jets, Great Mariners, Okwawu United and Nania FC — appeared before GFA Disciplinary Committee in connection with the Zone III fixture results on the final day for promotion to the Premiership which produced 59 goals, involving the four teams on March 28.

The results of the matches were declared null and void and expunged from the GFA’s records with all the clubs having been demoted from Division One to the Division Three. Players, who featured in the match fixture involving the four clubs, were hit with a year’s ban with effect from the end of the season.

The team officials of the four clubs including Abedi Pele were also handed a year’s ban and are barred from entering any football dressing rooms and from sitting on substitute’s bench for any match organised or sanctioned by the GFA.

Pele, together with former Bafana Bafana stalwarts Mark Fish and Lucas Radebe and Cameroon legend Roger Milla, were ambassadors for South Africa when they were bidding for the 2010 World Cup.