Lawsuit forces GFA to put betPawa Ghana Premier League on hold

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has decided to put the betPawa Premier League on hold.

This follows a Motion on Notice for Injunction filed on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, at the Human Rights Division of an Accra High Court by Ashantigold SC and served on the GFA’s lawyers.

Following the receipt of the Motion, the Association has decided to put the League on hold until the determination of a Motion on Notice for Injunction by the court on October 14, 2022.

The GFA has subsequently communicated this decision to all sponsors, partner and clubs.

The Association wishes to urge all stakeholders – sponsors and partners and clubs who have invested in the league, players whose livelihood depends on the league, match officials, administrators, officials and supporters of the league and the clubs to remain calm.

The Association will endeavour to seek redress for the prompt return of the League and ensure that the calendar is not further disrupted in this world cup year.

The Premier League was scheduled to enter Matchday 4 this weekend.

Inter Allies FC and Ashantigold were demoted to division two after the Committee found them guilty of Match Manipulation in their 2020/21 GPL match day 34 game at the Obuasi Len Clay Sports Stadium which the Miners won 7-0.

In the final weeks to the end of the 2021/22 Ghana Premier League season, the Disciplinary Committee of GFA ruled on the match-fixing allegation between Inter Allies and Ashgold.

The ruling found both clubs guilty and hence ruled that they both be demoted to the National Division Two League.

Ashantigold SC was charged on three counts including a breach of Article 34(5) (a) of the GPL Regulations (2019) for instigating, commanding, and counselling its players to play a fixed match against Inter Allies to achieve a result in favor of Ashantigold SC; for a breach of Article 18(1) of the GFA Disciplinary Code (2019).

Unhappy with the ruling with the argument that Ashanti Gold SC never engaged in any match-fixing with Inter Allies FC, officials of the club filed an appeal at the Ghana FA Appeals Committee.

Ashanti Gold SC lost an appeal against the ruling demoting the cub to compete in the National Division Two League next season.

Not satisfied with the work of the Appeals Committee the club went to court