You are here: HomeSportsSoccer2004 02 21Article 52322

Soccer News of Saturday, 21 February 2004

Source: --

Osei Boateng writes to GFA

Former Kumasi Asante Kotoko goal tender, Osei Boateng has appealed to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to lift the 12-month ban imposed on him for an incident during the Power FC ? Asante Kotoko match in 2002.

In a letter dated December 31, 2003 and addressed to the General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association, Boateng apologised to the GFA for the actions that led to his suspension and appealed to the Association to "temper justice with mercy" and lift his ban as his continued stay out of football could ruin his career.

Boateng was banned in January last year for the incident but a stay of execution pending appeal enabled him to stay in action till April when the Appeals Committee of the GFA upheld the earlier decision of the Disciplinary Committee.

"The nine months I have already served have definitely served the purpose and I wish to return to mainstream soccer a changed person," Boateng concluded in his appeal to the GFA.

Osei Boateng who until his suspension was the number one goalkeeper for Kotoko fell out with the recently dissolved Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the club over differences arising out of his contract extension and the committee subsequently put him on transfer.

A bitter Boateng left Kumasi and later travelled to the UK where he has been based for the past nine months.