Sports News of Wednesday, 18 January 2023

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

GFA to review Bibiani GoldStars vs Asante Kotoko game over 'dubious' penalty claims

Asante Kotoko draw 1-1 with GoldStars on matchday 13 Asante Kotoko draw 1-1 with GoldStars on matchday 13

The Ghana Football Association have announced that they have referred the matchday 13 fixture between Bibiani GoldStars and Asante Kotoko to the Match Review Panel.

Bibiani GoldStars on Monday, January 16, 2023, drew 1-1 with defending champions Asante Kotoko at the Dun's Park to maintain their 5th position on the Ghana Premier League table.

Asante Kotoko and their fans after the game complained about the referee’s decisions on the matchday and claimed that the two penalties awarded to the home team were dubious.

The GFA have reacted to the complaints after referring the game to the Match Review Panel.

Read the GFA's statement below:

The Match Review Panel is an independent body that reviews match official performances on their own, as well as, deal with complaints from clubs in the Premier, Division One, and Women’s Premier Leagues, the MTN FA Cup, and the Women’s FA Cup.

The Review Panel does not only sanction Match Officials but also commends them when they discharge their duties exceptionally.

Decisions of the Match Review Panel for the past three seasons (sanctions and commendations) in the top-tier Leagues have always been published.

However, since the commencement of the 2022/23 season, Review Panel decisions for complaints received and suo moto reviews have not been made public but sanctions have been carried out against the match officials concerned.

It is also worth mentioning that reports from Match Commissioners and Referee Assessors also play a key role in reviewing matches in the three top competitions.

The work of the Match Review Panel is aimed at Improving refereeing on the domestic front.

The Match Review Panel at their next sitting will review complaints received from Aduana FC and other clubs and matches they review on their own.