FootyDream

After serving their three-year mandate, the 12-member board of Asante Kotoko was dissolved by Manhyia following the submission of their reports for the period of their work.

Nana Gyambib Coker, a former management member, spoke in an interview with Akoma FM about DR. Kwame Kyei’s willingness to lead Asante Kotoko again if called upon by Manhyia. During Dr. Kwame Kyei’s previous administration, Mr. Coker was part of the management team.

Coker clarified that Dr. Kwame Kyei is not the owner of the newly promoted Nations FC but the owner of the team is, in fact, his sons. He also revealed the main reason behind Dr. Kwame Kyei’s purchase and renovation of the Dr. Kwame Kyei sports complex in Abrankese, stating that it was to serve the interests of Asante Kotoko.

Regarding the speculation about Dr. Kwame Kyei’s possible return to a leadership position in Kotoko, Coker said he cannot confirm or deny the reports, but he emphasized that if called upon by His Royal Majesty, Dr. Kyei would gladly accept the call, being a true son of Asanteman and a servant of the Golden stool.

“For now I will say Dr. Kwame Kyei is my father, I cannot confirm or deny that he (Dr. Kyei) could be retained as the board chairman or made the executive chairman of Kotoko. I have seen and read speculations in the media to that effect but I am unable to speak to that news,” he said in an interview with Akoma FM in Kumasi.

“Let me use this occasion to clear this wrong impression on the actual owner of Nations Football Club, Nations Fc is not for Dr Kyei but rather his two children, the stadium (Dr. Kyei Complex) is his personal property. The main reason he bought and renovated the stadium was to serve the interest of Kotoko”

“Should His Royal Majesty call on him anytime, he (Dr. Kyei) will happily and willingly accept the call, he cannot turn his back on Manhyia as a true son of Asanteman and a servant of the Golden stool.”

As the Porcupine Warriors prepare for the upcoming season, a new board of directors is expected to be named in the coming days, along with a new management team, following the submission of the three-year report.

The GHALCA Top 4 tournament, one of Ghana’s major off-season competitions, is set to take place from August 6th to August 13th, 2023.

The Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi has been chosen as the venue for the 2023 edition of the Ghana League Club Association (GHALCA) top-four tournament.

GHALCA has decided to host the matches in Kumasi due to its close proximity. Kudjoe Fianoo, the head of GHALCA, has confirmed that the organization will stick to the top 4 format after experimenting with other formats like top 6 and top 8 in the past.

The participating teams in the tournament will include Medeama, who were crowned champions of the 2022-23 Ghana Premier League, as well as Aduana Stars, who finished in second place. Bechem United and Asante Kotoko, who secured the fourth position in the league, will also compete in the tournament.

These games will serve as a pre-season tournament for the clubs ahead of the upcoming 2023/24 Ghana Premier League, which is scheduled to commence in September.

In the previous season, Great Olympics emerged as the champions of the GHALCA Top 4 tournament, which was held at the Accra Sports Stadium.

FIFA Assistant Referee Patrick Papala has been handed a one-year ban for denying Hearts of Oak a valid goal in their match against Real Tamale United (RTU) during Gameweek 33 at the Accra Sports Stadium.

In the closing moments of the game, which ended with a 2-1 victory for RTU, Papala disallowed a goal scored by Yaw Amankwah Baafi, incorrectly ruling it offside.

Hearts of Oak lodged a complaint with the Match Review Committee, contesting the decision. After conducting investigations, the committee determined that Papala had made an error in judgment and subsequently suspended him for a year.

According to the committee’s findings, Yaw Amankwah Baafi was not in an offside position, and the goal should have been allowed.

Additionally, the center referee of the match, Foster Bastiours, received a caution for failing to take responsibility when he observed that Yaw Amankwah was not offside. He was advised to take accountability in similar situations where he is confident in the correctness of his decision.

Below is the full decision:

SUMMARY OF COMPLAINT

1. a disallowed goal in the 90+ minute scored by player number 7 (Amankwah Baafi).

OBSERVATIONS, FINDINGS AND GROUNDS OF THE DECISION

Per the video watched, it was noticed that player number 7 (Amankwah Baafi) shot into goal at the time of kick the said player was not seen to be in an offside.

REFEREE OFFICIAL RESPONSE

The Assistant referee 1 (Patrick Papala) when contacted on the incident after the video was sent to him, defended his decision to give an offside insisting that the defender made an instinctive reaction and made contact with the ball resulting in the deflecting which sent the ball to the attacker who scored.

The Assistant referee made a lot of images from the video to maintain his decision even though the panel also sent him different angles and images, he insisted that his decision was correct.

DECISION(S)

Per the video watched, the Panel did not see the scorer of the goal in an offside position. The Panel did not also see the instinctive re-action argument of the defender he Patrick Papala eluded to by trying to use as a defence, because the defender saw the ball, had all the time to jump up and swing his head to head or play the ball, which changed direction to an attacker who was not in an Offside position at the time of the kick.

FIFA Assistant Referee 1 Patrick Papala is hereby suspended for one-year (ie., 2023/2024 football season) effective from the date this communication.

The main referee’s phone lines were not going through in all the attempts the Panel made to get in touch with him. However, the panel asked Assistant referee 1 Patrick Papala what they discussed during their consultation. He confirmed that the Referee Foster Bastiours told him that he did not see the incident as offside but he, Patrick Papala insisted that it was an offside therefore, the referee complied and disallowed the goal

Foster Bastiours as the main referee failed to take responsibility when he saw that the goal scorer was not in an offside position and allowed his assistant to dictate to him. He is therefore warned to learn to take responsibility next time when he was sure his decision was correct.

The 2023/24 Ghana Premier League season has been scheduled to kick off on September 20, 2023, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) have announced.

The matchday one will kick off on Wednesday at the various venues.

Medeama SC who are the champions of the 2022/23 season will hope to improve their performance to defend their title.

Meanwhile, King Faisal, Tamale City and Kotoku Royals suffered relegation from the top flight.

Nations FC, Heart of Lions and Bofoakwa Tano have been promoted to the topflight from the Division One League.

The Premier League fixtures are expected to be announced later this month.