Referee Gabriel O. Arhin and Assistant Referee Peter Dawsa have been suspended for the rest of the 2020/21 football season and the first eight matches of the first round of next season.
The GFA Match Review Panel announced this decision after reviewing the video recording of the Ghana Premier League Week 19 match between Ashantigold SC and Hearts of Oak played at the Len Clay Stadium in Obuasi.
Below are the decisions taken by the Review panel at its last meeting:
- COMPLAINT BY HEARTS OF OAK – (ASHGOLD VS HEARTS)
SUMMARY OF COMPLAINT
- Goalkeeper of Ashantigold, Kofi Mensah moved from the base line before Victor Aidoo of Hearts of Oak kicked the penalty. The penalty should have been retaken once the goalkeeper moved off his line but Referee Gabriel O. Arhin and Assistant Referee Peter Dawsa ignored it in the 17th minute of the 1st half.
- The referee and his assistant took a penalty against Hearts of Oak in the 91st minute when the ball touched the body (pelvic) of Fatawu Mohammed before hitting his arm which was in a natural position.
After watching the video, the Panel observed that the goalkeeper blatantly moved off the goal line in between the goal post before the kicker kicked the ball.
It was also observed that the penalty awarded should not have been a penalty because the ball hit the player’s hip before touching the hand, per the law under handball, it is not an offence if the ball touched a player’s hand/arm directly from the players own head or body: including the foot.
DECISION(S)
The Panel therefore recommend that Referee Gabriel O. Arhin and Assistant Referee Peter Dawsa be suspended from all football activities for the rest of the 2020/21 football and half of next season’s first round (i.e eight (8) matches of next football season).
Source: ghanafa.org