Hearts of Oak supporters want match officials suspended after Kotoko defeat

Accra Hearts of Oak’s supporters body National Chapters Committee has appealed to the Ghana Football Association to suspend the match officials in their 3-2 defeat to Asante Kotoko in the Ghana Premier League on Sunday in Kumasi.

Kotoko scored a controversial second goal in the 55th minute with Steven Mukwala pouncing on a rebound after goalkeeper Richmond Ayi failed to save a shot from Isaac Oppong.

Replay revealed that there were two offsides in the build-up to the goal but the referee Reginald Collins Amoah gave the goal.

“We are appealing to the GFA to as a matter of urgency suspend all the three or four match officials that officiated our match on Sunday.”

“Everybody should be suspended and an investigation carried out because we the supporters believe that there was something hidden in that decision.” – said Chairman of the NCC Elvis Herman Hesse at a press conference.

“Our team considered an obvious offside goal, which all of you media people present to bear as a witness. It was not a mistake from the assistant referee.”

“You all realize that even a class two referee or a class two assistant referee would be able to flag for that obvious offside decision. But the assistant and the middleman communicated for over five minutes and they decided that they had the scores in their pocket – and for that matter, we should lose that much.”

“The NCC will never sit down and watch referees determine the outcome of our matches again”.- he added.

Herman Hesse also revealed that the NCC will prevent the match officials if they are assigned to their home games again.

“Even if the FA fails to suspend them and they are given matches between us and Kotoko, they should never attempt to come to the stadium matches because we will not allow them to officiate those matches.”

“From today onward, any referee or any match official who decides to cheat our club would have the NCC to contend with”.

Story By: Princeton Wiredu