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Sports News of Sunday, 26 November 2017

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

Andre Ayew should be banned for diving - Alan Shearer

Andre Ayew received a yellow card for simulation in the game against Leicester City Andre Ayew received a yellow card for simulation in the game against Leicester City

Former England captain Alan Shearer has called upon the football authorities to look again at the performance of Andre Ayew in West Ham's 1-1 stalemate with Leicester City and ban the Ghanaian forward for diving.

The Black Stars deputy captain flung himself to the ground inside the box to try and convince referee Martin Atkinson to award the Hammers a spot-kick but instead received a yellow card.

Last week, Senegal and Everton striker Oumar Niasse received a suspension after a disciplinary panel reviewed his successful attempt to deceive the officials in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.

It proved to be a piece of gamesmanship that made all the difference for David Unsworth's side as they salvaged a point from a match that they otherwise would have lost.

However, due to the current regulations, Ayew's dive cannot be given the same treatment because it did not result in a penalty, and Shearer thinks that is wrong.

"This one is definitely not a penalty," said the Match of the Day pundit. "This is a dive.

"The unfortunate thing is that the panel cannot look at that. They should be able to."

According to Shearer, who played for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United as a player, and also captained England, there will be no real progress on diving in the game until the authorities take a harder approach.

"If they want to stamp diving out then the panel should be able to go back," he said. "Very much like they did last week and look at the Niasse situation.

"They should look at that also and he should face a ban because that’s a terrible dive."

Ironically, West Ham's next game will be against Everton, and given the sense of injustice from some sections of the Toffees' support over their players ban, given how other footballers have escaped similar punishment already this season, Ayew could add another needle into the fixture