"Decision is too harsh" - Okwawu's Secretary

Accra, April 11, GNA - Samuel Oduro Nyarko, Board Secretary of demoted Okwawu United has termed the Ghana Football Associations (GFA) Disciplinary Committee's (DC) decision of demoting his Club and three others as very harsh.

Okwawu was on Wednesday demoted to Division three, fined 50 million cedis while 11 of the team's players and five technical officials were banned for a year for playing a fix game against Nania FC in a Zone Three National Middle League match played last month. Okwawu lost the game 0-31.

The Board Secretary told the GNA Sports after the verdict that "Even though I must admit we had a fair hearing, I find the decision too harsh.

"Rules are rules and it is for this reason that I feel we should rather have been demoted to Division Two and not Three.

"I feel the DC should have followed the Italian example where Juventus was sent only a step down in a match-fixing scandal. "To have fined us 50 million cedis is also outrageous."

The Club and officials have 72 hours to appeal against the decision.

Nyarko said his management will decide on whether to appeal or not in the next few hours.

Eleven Okwawu players and five technical officials were also banned from engaging in any match organized or sanctioned by the GFA for a period of one year in accordance with Article 35 (5) and as set out under article 39 (3) (4) of the GFA Status with effect from the end of the current season.

Abedi Pele's Nania FC, Great Mariners and Tudu Mighty Jets are the other three banned clubs.