Hearts to play behind closed doors over COVID-19 protocols breaches
Double jeopardy for the Phobians as only 10 club officials will be allowed in the stadium.
Some Hearts fans defied COVID protocols
Hearts of Oak have been ordered to play their next home games in the 2020/21 Ghana Premier League (GPL) behind closed doors following the violations of the GFA match-day COVID=19 protocols during their Mantse Derby defeat to Great Olympics Saturday night.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA), in a letter to Hearts and copied to all league clubs dated Sunday, January 31, “without any reservations” condemned the breaches that occurred at the Accra Sports Stadium “despite the plans put in place.”
READ: #GPLwk11: Olympics leapfrog Hearts with 2-0 Mantse derby win
As a result, Hearts have been “immediately referred to the Disciplinary Committee” who have been “tasked to sit on this matter expeditiously”
The GFA letter added “that until the case is fully determined, Accra Hearts of Oak SC shall play their home matches behind closed doors at the Accra Sports Stadium.”
During these behind-closed-doors home matches, only 30 persons shall be allowed into the Accra Sports Stadium – 10 of them being Hearts management members, the same number for the away team as well as media persons who “shall sit in the upper terraces (VVIP).”
It is not readily ascertained the number of breaches Hearts may have committed but the most glaring one was the fan attendance as there were more than the sanctioned numbers who as well defied the safety demarcations in the stands.
The Government of Ghana, in allowing fans, back at local league centres permitted clubs to take in 25% of their facility capacities and ensured strict adherence to all COVID-19 protocols. That meant, the Accra Sports Stadium was allowed to take in 10,000 spectators.
Hearts lost the match-day 11 derby clash 2-0 courtesy Gladson Awako and Maxwell Nii Abbey first-half strikes for Great Olympics.
Read in full, GFA’s statement to Hearts and its stakeholders:
