Sports
Hunting for proper ‘Knights of the Whistle’
Officiating is the rock-layer of every sporting endeavour – peculiarly football.
Take it out and the game would stagger to a messy halt – most likely cascading into an orgy of preventable ‘blood-letting’ on the pitch – not to talk about the indignity it broadly spews out.
The sear of anguish and the torrent of pain of the May 9, 2001 disaster that recorded 127 deaths at the Accra Sports Stadium during a Premier League game between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, is still freshly etched on our minds.
Indeed, referees are the lifeblood of the game and wield a lot of power and authority as to making and unmaking the game with their kind of decisions. When the referee performs creditably well, he is lauded by the majority of supporters – even if their clubs lose.
On the reverse, the officials are given a bad name and hanged when they perform shoddily.
Indeed, the most unpleasant thing a club can experience is to suffer defeat through a bout of biased officiating!
Such cases are replete in our various leagues nationwide. It is almost a weekly trauma for some of the clubs that have no option, but to bear the agony and go through the painful motion.
Distressingly, the perpetrators – the centre referees and some of the assistant referees, have almost always walked away scot-free to enjoy their booties (bribes) – not giving a damn to the ‘carnage’ they may have caused.
Many of such disgraceful officials have been weeded out by the ‘Number 12’ Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ investigative piece. The rest may be hanging around to strike when the iron is hot. They have to be smoked out and cleared from the system in order to give football a new lease of life.
That is why one was highly thrilled to learn of efforts the Ghana Football Association (GFA) is taking to replenish its stock of referees – badly depleted after the Anas’ work that affected a decent number of the nation’s top brass.
About 75 referees were affected by the investigation as the ‘knights of the whistle’ were caught on camera collecting bribes to plunge the game into disrepute.
Later, the Referees Association of Ghana (RAG) emerged that it had exonerated 14 and suspended or banned 61 referees because there was no evidence beyond reasonable doubt to validate allegations of corruption and bribery against them.
CAF and FIFA had already banned the referees on the list of the RAG.
Three months after the allegations first surfaced, RAG found 61 referees culpable on charges of bribery and corruption.
Subsequently, the body splashed out 10-year suspensions to 53 referees and banned another eight for life after studying footage from the investigation, and 14 referees who appeared in the video were deemed to have no case to answer.
That is how badly bruised the refereeing situation in Ghana is; something the Referees Manager of the GFA – Alex Kotey – says he is fighting tooth-and-nail to reverse.
The GFA last Tuesday launched a ‘Catch them Young’ refereeing project to help recruit a new generation of young, budding and talented referees for the country.
Under the tag-line ‘Catch them Young Refereeing Policy,’ the move was to help replenish the stock left after the Anas exposé. Only three FIFA referees from the old stock – namely Daniel Laryea, Latif Adari, and Paul Atimaka, survived the ‘inferno.’
It is heartwarming to note that 10 new young promising referees are said to have managed to meander their way onto the FIFA list.
“Identifying young budding talents from the Senior High Schools (SHSs) and the tertiary levels and helping them develop the love and skills for refereeing and imbibing in them the spirit to upholding the integrity of the trade from this stage is one sure way of securing the future of refereeing in the country,” Mr Kotey asserted.
Steadily, Ghanaians were beginning to believe again in the local referee before the COVID-19 pandemic struck to put the season to ‘sleep’ in mid-March, this year.
One must add, however, that in its bid to stock up the referee deficit, the FA must make it a matter of urgency to institute a ‘snake-pit’ inquisition into their backgrounds. It is a crucial call!
Indeed, it is dangerous to open the doors to people whose backgrounds you are not certain of to join the noble world of officiating.
The integrity of referees in this country has been battered – though not beyond repairs – but we must ensure we do not worsen the situation. This is why the FA must do a lot more to fetch referees with integrity and moral uprightness into the fold as it charts a fresh course to bring sanity into the game.
PlainTalk with JOHN VIGAH
Sports
S-Inkoom Football Academy eyes Division Two promotion, European opportunities for young talents
Former Ghana Black Stars and FC Basel defender, Samuel Inkoom, has expressed confidence in the future of Ghanaian football as his S-Inkoom Football Academy continues to nurture young talents and create pathways to professional football both locally and abroad.
Speaking after his academy’s successful qualification for the Middle League, Inkoom praised the commitment and discipline of his players, describing their progress as a testament to hard work and dedication.
“First of all, I give thanks to God. These kids mean a lot to me. The most important thing is that they are learning and moving in the right direction,” he said.
According to him, the academy’s immediate target is to secure promotion to Division Two when the team competes in the Middle League this week.
“We are playing on Wednesday and we are hoping for the best. If they perform the same way they did today, they can qualify for Division Two,” he stated.
Inkoom revealed that the academy’s broader objective extends beyond winning matches, focusing instead on transforming the lives of talented young footballers, many of whom come from underprivileged backgrounds.
“Some of these boys come from families that struggle to provide even basic necessities. I tell them that money may not be there today, but if they remain focused, success will come tomorrow,” he explained.
The former Ghana international also disclosed that several academy players are attracting interest from clubs in Europe.
He said three players who recently underwent trials had been invited back to complete permanent transfers later this month, while four additional players are expected to travel abroad soon.
“When I see these opportunities for the boys, it makes me happy. It shows that we are doing something right,” he noted.
He appealed to corporate organisations and individuals to support the academy’s efforts in developing future national team players.
“If corporate bodies can come on board and support us, the door is open. This project is for Ghana. Together, we can bring out these talents and help build a stronger national team,” he said.
The academy currently has more than 80 players within its development system, providing a steady pipeline of talent to replace players who progress to opportunities abroad.
“We have about 81 players in our system. We are giving everyone a chance because football is about opportunities and timing. New talents are always emerging,” Inkoom added.
Captain Samuel Owusu also expressed confidence in the team’s readiness for the upcoming Division Two qualifiers, stating that the players had quickly shifted their focus after learning of their qualification.
“We were surprised at first, but now we are fully prepared mentally and physically for the challenge ahead,” he said.
Midfielder Elijah echoed the optimism within the camp, indicating that the squad was determined to prove itself in the next stage of competition.
The academy’s management further revealed plans to organise youth tournaments involving international scouts and representatives from leading European clubs, creating additional exposure opportunities for young Ghanaian footballers.
With preparations intensifying ahead of Wednesday’s crucial fixtures, the S-Inkoom Football Academy remains hopeful of achieving promotion while continuing its mission of producing the next generation of football stars for Ghana and beyond.
By Enoch Ntiamoah Siaw
The world over, the FA Cup is noted as a competition that produces winners whose pedigree can always be called into question.
This year in particular when many predicted an all-conquering Arsenal to win the English version of the championship, they were beaten by a struggling Manchester City side to win the trophy.
The season before, a dominant Manchester City side also surprisingly lost to Crystal Palace in a final many expected the east Manchester side to triumph.
The Ghana version of the competition is not spared of the surprises and uncertainties about the competition.
On Sunday at the University of Ghana Stadium, Nations FC walked a path that only defunct Ho Voradep treaded on 34 years ago when they suffered relegation in the 1992 edition but won the FA Cup competition.
Having faced the ignominy of relegation, Nations FC put up a strong fight to beat Dreams FC 5-4 on penalties to win the MTN FA Cup after drawing 1-1 in regulation and extra time.
Joseph Effah put Nations FC ahead in the 31st minute with a composed finish before Abdul Razak Salifu levelled for Dreams FC on the stroke of halftime.
Both sides had good chances in the second half and extra time, but all failed to find the back of the net again until the shoot-outs.
It was not just historic. It is the biggest silverware in their trophy cabinet. Though they would campaign from the lower tier of Ghana football, they would hoist Ghana’s flag in the CAF Confederations Cup competition in the next season.
It was a dramatic and memorable season, leaving huge responsibility on the tiny shoulders of Dr Kwame Kyei’s Nations FC.
The focus is now on the future for the winners considering the financial challenge that comes with participation for the continental championship others to arise regarding the acceptance of their home venue.
While commending the FA Cup committee and MTN Ghana, the headline sponsors, one hopes that corporate sectors consider that difficulty and rush to the aid of the club. Ayekoo, Nations FC.
By Andrew Nortey
