General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Prosper Harrison Addo says his outfit will not compensate all players involved in the match-fixing game between Ashantigold SC and Inter Allies FC two seasons ago.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday, July 27, 2023 fined the Ghana FA an amount to the tune of 9,300 Swiss Francs after ruling in favour of the players that featured in the Ashantigold game against Inter Allies FC during the 2020/21 season.
The CAS ruling overturns all punishments imposed by the Ghana FA, including a ban on the said players.
The GFA's Disciplinary Committee decision had sanctioned 21 players who were involved in the match, which ended 7-0 to Ashantigold at the Len Clay stadium in Obuasi.
The players were handed bans for their alleged involvement in manipulating the results of the match.
Following the GFA's decision to ban the players, the Professional Football Association of Ghana (PFAG) through the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) filed for a stay of execution pending an appeal.
However, Asante Kotoko SC appealed the Ghana FA decision for the player Richmond Nii Lamptey, who had switched camp from Allies.
CAS upheld the stay of execution, which temporarily lifted the ban of the players to allow them to continue to play for their desired clubs competitively. After several months, CAS has annulled the sanctions imposed on the players by the Ghana FA.
The domestic football governing body has also been ordered to pay Richmond Nii Lamptey the amount of 3000 Swiss Francs as contributions towards his legal fees and other expenses in connection with the arbitration proceedings.
Per an audio aired on Kessben FM monitored by Footballghana.com, the FA scribe indicated his outfit will comply with the ruling but was clear they will only compensate players who protested the case at CAS.
“If you are dissatisfied with a ruling of the Appeals Committee, you go to CAS as enshrined in our laws and these players went to CAS, first of all, they got a stay and the FA complied. I have seen people write, all the players have been exonerated, no, it is not all the players because some of them did not appeal the decision at CAS”
“Players who went to CAS and were granted a stay are going to be compensated. The decision does not affect any other person or institution that did not go to CAS. So, we welcome the decision, it’s a CAS decision and we will comply fully” he said.