New Edubiase United FC have been declared losers of their Ghana Premier League Match day 25 match against Techiman City FC for fielding an unqualified player.
The Disciplinary Committee has upheld Techiman City’s protest in respect of the said match which has seen New Edubiase FC also fined GHC5000.00.
CASE OF TECHIMAN CITY FC
Techiman City Football Club (the Petitioner) on August 22, 2016 protested against New Edubiase United Football Club (the Respondent) for fielding two (2) unqualified players in their Match Day 25 Premier League match in contravention of Article 34(1)(e) and 29(1)(e) of the General Regulations of the GFA in the persons of:
- Christopha Agbashie (player in jersey number 27),
- Prince Antwi (player in jersey number 13),
On Christopha Agbashie, Petitioner contended that the player received yellow cards in Match Days 5, 9, 16, 19, 22 and 24 of the Ghana Premier League. The Petitioner stated that the player should not have been fielded against Techiman City FC in the Match Day 25 match.
In the case of Prince Antwi, Techiman City FC alleged that the player received yellow cards in Match Days 15, 22 and 23 of the Ghana Premier League. The Petitioner stated that the player should not have been fielded against Techiman City FC in the Match Day 25 match.
The Petitioner attached caution statements from the Premier League Board to support the case and consequently, demanded that by the application of Article 34(1)(e) of t he General
Regulations of the GFA, three points and three goals should be awarded in their favour.
DEFENCE OF NEW EDUBIASE UNITED FC
The Respondent failed to file a Statement of Defence to the Protest within three (3) days upon receipt of the Protest as stipulated by the GFA General Regulations.
FINDINGS AND GROUNDS OF THE DECISION
The relevant regulations on this matter are very clear. The Petitioner stated that the Respondent should suffer forfeiture under Article 34(1)(e) and 29(1)(e) of the General Regulations of the GFA.
The said Article 34(1)(e) reads: “A team commits an offence punishable by forfeiture of a match where it fields
an unqualified player(s)” Again, per Article 29(2)(a) of the General Regulations of the GFA an unqualified player shall not play in a match. Article 29(2)(a) of the GFA General Regulations reads:
“An unqualified player shall not take part in any competition organised by the Association”.
Article 29(1) of the General Regulations defines who an unqualified player is. In the instant case, the Petitioner points to a breach of Article 29(1)(e) of the General Regulations.
The new Article 29(1)(e) of the General Regulations (as amended) states as follows: “An unqualified player is a player who has received a caution in three separate official matches of the GFA and has not missed the next official match (i.e. a match in the League, the FA Cup or the Elite Cup competitions)”.
Article 39(5)(a) and the new 39(5)(b)(i) of the GFA General Regulations which are reproduce as follows: 35(5)(a) “Without prejudice to the powers of the Disciplinary Committee, a player
cautioned by a referee for:
(i) foul play; or
(ii) criticism of the referee’s decision; or
(iii) making derogatory remarks concerning other players; or
(iv) temporarily leaving the field of play without the express
permission of the referee; or
(v)any other offence on the field of play,
shall be informed in writing by the GFA for a first and second offence; he
shall be automatically suspended from taking part in the next official
match for any other subsequent offence”.
The new Article 39(5)(b)(i) as passed by the GFA Congress on November 9, 2015: “In this section “next official match” means a match in either the League or the FA Cup or the Elite Cup competitions.
It is hereby declared, for the avoidance of doubt, that cautions received in the three (3) competitions shall be counted as though they were received in one (1) competition and a player who receives caution as in sub-paragraph (5)(a)(i-v) above either in one (1) competition or two (2) or all three (3) competitions (the League, the FA Cup or the Elite Cup) shall be liable to a suspension of one (1) match”
It is the case of the Petitioner that the two (2) New Edubiase players though unqualified in respect of Article 29(1)(e) were fielded in the match against Techiman City FC thereby violating the conditions of the GFA Regulations.
The first issue to be determined by this Committee was whether or not the two players , Christopha Agbashie (player in jersey number 27) and Prince Antwi (player in jersey number 13) actually played in the match in question (Ghana Premier League Match Day 25). For if the two players were not fielded in the match in question then the jurisdiction of the Committee cannot be evoked and the protest shall not have a leg to stand on.
However, in the instant matter, it is the finding of this Committee from the match report that New Edubiase United FC actually fielded both players, Christopha Agbashie (player in jersey number 27) and Prince Antwi (player in jersey number 13) in the match against Techiman City FC.
We now turn our attention on the two players and the Committee finds (from the original match reports) as a matter of fact that:
- On Prince Antwi (player in jersey number 13) the player was in fact cautioned in the
following matches:
GPL Match Day 15 – Medeama SC vrs New Edubiase Utd – 42 min
GPL Match Day 17 – Dreams FC vrs New Edubiase Utd – 50 min
GPL Match Day 22 – New Edubiase Utd vrs Asante Kotoko SC – 41 min
GPL Match Day 23 – Ashanti Gold FC vrs New Edubiase Utd – 64 min
Thus, it is therefore our finding that the player Prince Antwi was qualified to be fielded in the Match
Day 25 match for New Edubiase United FC against Techiman City FC.
- On Christopha Agbashie (player in jersey number 27), the player was in fact cautioned in the
following matches:
GPL Match Day 5 – Wa All Stars FC vrs New Edubiase Utd – 49 min
GPL Match Day 9 – Asante Kotoko SC vrs New Edubiase Utd – 85 min
GPL Match Day 16 – New Edubiase Utd vrs Medeama SC – 68 min
GPL Match Day 19 – Aduana Stars FC vrs New Edubiase Utd – 90+3 min
GPL Match Day 22 – New Edubiase Utd vrs Asante Kotoko SC – 52 min
GPL Match Day 24 – New Edubiase Utd vrs WAFA SC – 12 min
Thus, it our finding that the Christopha Agbashie was unqualified to be fielded in Match Day 25 (being the next official match) for New Edubiase United FC against Techiman City FC.
In light of the foregoing, it is our position that when New Edubiase United FC fielded Christopha Agbashie in the Match Day 25 Premier League match, the said player was an unqualified player.
It is therefore the holding of this Committee that the Protest of Techiman City FC shall succeed in respect of Christopha Agbashie (player in jersey number 27).
DECISIONS
The Committee therefore makes the following decisions:
- That for fielding an unqualified player, Christopha Agbashie (player in jersey number 27) in the Match Day 25 Ghana Premier League match, New Edubiase United FC shall forfeit the match in accordance with Article 34(1)(e) of the General Regulations of the GFA.
- That having been found to have forfeited the match, New Edubiase United FC shall be considered as having lost the match in accordance with Article 34(2) and accordingly, three (3) points and three (3) goals are hereby awarded in favour of Techiman City FC in accordance with Articles 34(2) and 34(10) of the General Regulations of the GFA.
- That in addition, being the defaulting club, New Edubiase United FC is hereby fined Five Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢5,000.00) payable to the GFA, 50% of which shall be paid to Techiman City FC pursuant to Article 34(5)(a) of the General Regulations of the GFA which shall be paid to the GFA within fourteen (14) days upon receipt of this Ruling, failing which New Edubiase United FC shall automatically forfeit all subsequent matches after the said deadline by the Ghana Premier League Board or the GFA in accordance with Articles 39(8)(b), 39(8)(d) and 39(8)(f) of the First Amendment to the GFA General Regulations.
- That in addition, being the defaulting club, New Edubiase United FC shall lose three (3) points from the club’s accumulated points from their previous matches pursuant to Article 34(5)(a) of the General Regulations of the GFA.
- That should any party be dissatisfied with or aggrieved by this Decision, the party has withinthree (3) days of being notified of this Ruling to appeal to the Appeals Committee of the Ghana Football Association (See Article 37(11) of the General Regulations of the GFA).
Source: Ghana FA