Ghana Premier League (GPL) side, Ashantigold Sporting Club, have been demoted to Division Two, Ghana’s 3rd tier league, after being found guilty of match manipulation. In the same vein, Inter Allies Football Club have also been demoted to the second division of the Ghanaian footballing pyramid after being found guilty of match manipulation.
The action relates to a Ghana Premier League game at the end of the 2020/2021 season when Ashantigold beat Inter Allies by 7-0. An Inter Allies player, Hashmin Musah, scored two own goals and later admitted his action was to spoil a bet placed on the said game.
Ashantigold President, Dr. Kwaku Frimpong, and his son, Emmanuel Frimpong, who is the club’s Chief Executive Officer, have also been banned from football activities for 10 years and 8 years respectively.
Eight players of the club have also been banned for two years each after being found guilty of match manipulation, while a further five players have also been handed four year bans for failure to appear before the GFA’s Disciplinary Committee for questioning.
In addition, Ashantigold have been fined an amount of GH₵ 100,000, the President fined GH₵ 100,000 and the CEO fined GH₵ 50,000.
The decision was announced by the Ghana FA’s Disciplinary Committee on Monday after the conclusion of investigation into last season’s final day clash between Ashantigold and Inter Allies at the Len Clay Stadium.
The match in question ended 7-0 in favour of AshGold with Inter Allies defender, Hashmin Musah scoring two own goals in the process.
However, after the encounter, Hashmin Musah, admitted in a radio interview that his own goals were scored deliberately to scupper a 5-1 bet that some people had placed on the match.
The GFA announced that the club Inter Allies were charged on two counts and it would be sent to Division Two at the end of the current season and also, their head coach, Felix Aboagye and team manager, Reuben Adjetey, would be banned for 24 months from all football-related activity.
Four players of Inter Allies were handed 24-month bans as part of the sanctions from the GFA. Kotoko’s Richmond Lamptey was given a 30-month ban from football related activities because he played for Inter Allies at of the time of the said incident.
Hashmin Musah of Inter Allies was also punished but he was given a shorter 6-month ban for throwing light on the incident and he was also warned to inform the GFA’s Integrity Hotline in future if he has wind of such unscrupulous arrangements.
The GFA announced that the decision shall be communicated to FIFA to be given international application in accordance with the GFA Disciplinary Code and FIFA Disciplinary Code considering that a number of players are now playing in clubs outside the jurisdiction of the Ghana Football Association.
The GFA further added that the decision takes effect from the 2022/2023 season.
