The Ghana Premier League’s thrilling season may have ended, but the drama continues to unfold.
In a landmark decision, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Disciplinary Committee has dismissed Nations FC’s protest against Basake Holy Stars, awarding the latter three crucial points. This ruling has sent shockwaves throughout the league, with far-reaching implications for both teams.
The controversy began when Nations FC walked off the pitch during their match against Basake Holy Stars, protesting a contentious decision. The abrupt end to the match sparked a heated debate, with both teams trading accusations.
Nations FC, who were in the running for their first-ever GPL title, claimed foul play, while Basake Holy Stars argued that the walk-off was unjustified.
After careful consideration, the GFA Disciplinary Committee consolidated both cases and delivered a decisive verdict. Basake Holy Stars’ protest was upheld, while Nations FC’s was dismissed. The committee ruled that Nations FC would lose the match and all three points, as their actions led to the abrupt end of the game. Conversely, Basake Holy Stars would gain three points and three goals, a significant boost to their standings.
The financial implications were also significant, with Nations FC ordered to pay a fine of 2,500 cedis to the GFA. Notably, 50% of this amount would go to Basake Holy Stars, further sweetening the deal for the victorious team.
This ruling has dramatically altered the league standings, with Nations FC slipping to fifth place, six points behind current champion GoldStars. The team’s championship dreams now seem further away than ever, as they face the daunting task of regrouping and rebuilding.
The ruling will have no impact on the league standings, as Nations FC’s stumble at home against Hearts of Lions on the final match day proved to be the final nail in the coffin.
Even if the ruling had gone in their favor, they would have still been on level points with the newly crowned league champions, GoldStars, who would have nonetheless won the league due to their superior head-to-head records.
