CAS lifts GFA suspension of 21 Inter Allies, Ashantigold SC players
"The decision rendered by the Ghana Football Association Association's Appeals Committee on July 1, 2022, is stayed," the ruling says in part.
The Court of Arbitration for Sports(CAS) headquartered in Switzerland has lifted with immediate effect the suspension placed on a total of 21 players of the Inter Allies Football Club and Ashantigold SC in Ghana.
As a result, the decision rendered by the Ghana Football Association’s Appeal Committee on July 1, 2022, which upheld the decision of the Disciplinary Committee has been stayed.
The above forms part of the court’s ruling in an application for provisional measures filed by the players; Alex Aso, Felix Abuska, Mohammed Zakari, Shaibu Taufiq, Fard Ibrahim, Richard Acquaah, Eric Esso, Amos Kofi Nkrumah, Stephen Owusu Banahene, Kwame Moses, Empem Dacosta, Frank Akoto, Isaac Opoku Agyemang, Solomon Afriyie, Mohammed Bailou, Emmanuel Owusu, Samed Mohammed, Paul Asare de Vires, Amos Addai, Abdul Kadir Mohammed, and Isah Ali on July 25, 2022.
It will be recalled that on July 17, 2021, Ashantigold SC won a Ghana Premier League match against Inter Allies FC on the score of 7-0.
Subsequently, in September that year, the Ghana Football Association informed about 15 of the players that misconduct charges had been brought against them for facilitating and participating in the playing of a fixed match per Article 34(5)(a) of the GFA Premier League Regulations.
The applicants noted that there was no notice of charge issued to them and that none of the 21 players submitted a response to the notice of charge.
However, on May 16, 2022, the Disciplinary Committee of the GFA issued its decision in which seven of the players from the Inter Allies FC were suspended for 24 months while Fard Ibrahim received 36 months suspension.
Simultaneously, the DC also issued its decision in the case of the Ashantigold players in which 8 of them were suspended for 24 months while Samed Mohammed, Emmanuel Owusu, Mohammed Bailou, Amos Addai, and Paul Asare de Vries were given 30 and 48 months suspension respectively.
The players appealed the decision at the GFA Appeals Committee on May 17 but the same was dismissed on July 1, 2022, leading to their appeal to the CAS.
In its ruling, the court made the finding that the three cumulative conditions for granting the request for provisional measures(Irreparable harm, Likelihood of success, and Balance of Interests) have been met by the application and thus granted the same.
