Referee, Match Commissioner banned for life

A referee and a match commissioner have been banned for life by the Disciplinary Committee of the Ghana Football Authority (GFA). The Committee also dismissed the protest filed by Kumasi Asante Kotoko against Accra Hearts of Oak for fielding Charles Taylor in their 19th week league match played in Kumasi.

In a decision taken yesterday, the Disciplinary Committee accepted the fact that Charles Taylor had received a yellow card on the field of play making him ineligible to play in that match.

However the committee maintained that it could not find any evidence implicating Hearts and blamed the Match Commissioner and the referee for conspiracy.

The Committee found the Match Commissioner G.M Afedzi from Ho and referee J.D.K Essel of Tamale conspired to alter the records and attribute the yellow card to Jacob Nettey and not Charles Taylor as happened on the field of play.

The Match Commissioner and the referee have therefore been banned for life.

The management of Kumasi Asante Kotoko have filed a protest against aspects of the Ghana Football Association’s Disciplinary Committee decision, which came out earlier yesterday.

According to the club, appropriate sanctions should be applied to Accra Hearts of Oak for fielding an unqualified player, Charles Taylor against Kotoko in their Star Premier League match on the 16th of September.

Taylor had received three yellow cards prior to the match, making him ineligible to play.

Under GFA regulations, any club that fields an unqualified player in a league match faces the penalty of losing three points from the points build-up.

The Disciplinary Committee in its ruling, banned Referee Essel and match commissioner Afedzi for life for their involvement in the Charles Taylor saga.