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Sports Features of Saturday, 10 July 2010

Source: Patrick Oheneba-Adu

Foot Ball Rules Must Change

This world cup may be over but l hope a lot of us has a lot to remember, both good and bad ones, painful and happiness. FIFA world Cup 2010 in South Africa; I will never forget the pain that l went through as an African and a Ghanaian in the hands of L Suarez Uruguayan which led to the elimination of black stars of Ghana from the world cup. l know the English will never forget what they went through in the hands of the Uruguayan referee and his assistance which led to their removal from the world cup. Also I know that an Irish man will never forget what Thierry Henry of France and a formal Arsenal prayer did to them which led to their amputation from this year’s world cup.
Again, the English will never forget what Maradona; the Argentine did to them which deprived them of their victory in the 1984 world cup hosted by the Mexicans.
Are you aware that all these people go scot free after causing us such pains?
l know as you read this article, you are not just thinking about the pains but also the harm it might have caused others. As you may be aware, lots of people lost a lot of money, why? You may ask? Because when such tournaments are going on, people place a lot of betting on it some with even their last penny. Unfortunately, nothing happens to these people after causing this blunder.
So, as you read this article and remembers your pains, the question is, what are you doing or what have you done to prevent this act happing again?
Because the English do not want a repetition of what happened to them this year’s World Cup, they are pushing for the goal line technology. This, FIFA President Sett Platter, has agreed and says on their meeting in the Cardiff this year, it will be addressed. This I think is a good work and of cause a step in the right direction. Keep it up!
As you read this article and thinks about these people and the pains they have caused you, don’t you think it’s high time the rules of FIFA is tightened as it is too soft as it is now? The sad thing is, these people always get away with it.
For me, l think many of the players knows that the rules are so easy and too soft that is why they always do it, so as I said earlier, l think FIFA need to change some of it’s rules.
I am a African and a Ghanaian so let me talk about the Ghana black stars games a bit. I am talking about people using their hands to blocking people scoring goal. In this years FIFA world cup in South Africa, three people use their hand to block the Black stars of Ghana scoring their goal, the first one was Ghana v Serbia of which the Serbian prayer use his hand to prevent Ghana scoring a goal of which the referee saw and gave him a red card and awarded a penalty of which A. Gyan manage to score, the second one was Ghana v Germany of which the referee and his assistance did not see so lost 1-0 in favour of the Germans and the third one was the Ghana v Uruguay which has caused me a lot of pains and my fellow brethren.
L Suarez use his hand to block Ghana black stars’ goal and he was given red card and the referee awarded penalty to the black stars of which A. Gyan missed.
Don’t you think that it is time FIFA change the rules of awarding a penalty and the red card and give straight Goal?
Most players know that when they block your goal and given red card and awarded a penalty, there is 50/50 chance of scoring so. Also I think red card should attract a band of three matches when the referee finds out that a player intentionally block a goal with his hands like what L Suarez did.
One thing l know for sure is, if FIFA do not change the rules, many players will be turn into goal keepers.
So, as you read this article, I am asking the FIFA president Sett Platter and all the FIFA officials to change this current soft rules and make it a bit tougher to make football game more free and fair for every one.

In fact I am so disappointed by the GFA , are you aware that upon all this hand ball blocking, no sensible person in the GFA has complain to FIFA for that soft rules to be change. England FA is pushing for the goal line technology and l will be happy if GFA also can push for the rules of the hand blocking when someone is going to score a goal but I will so disappointed if they do not do any thing about it.

Patrick Oheneba-Adu, Radio Focus. London

Patrickadu74@yahoo.co.uk