AshantiGold and Inter Allies have had their appeals dismissed, and they will now play in the Division Two League next season.
The clubs challenged the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Disciplinary Committee’s decision to demote them in May for match-fixing.
After months of investigation, the Disciplinary Committee concluded that the match between Ashgold and Inter Allies on the final day of the 2020/21 season was manipulated.
The game ended 7-0, with an Inter Allies player Hashmin Musah scoring two own goals. He claims that he did so on purpose as he believes that the score had been agreed in advance.
Aside from being demoted, the two clubs were also fined heavily, and several players and club officials were banned for an indefinite period of time.
Ashgold and Inter Allies insisted they were not guilty and filed appeals in the hope that their verdicts would be overturned, allowing them to remain in the Premier League and Division One League, respectively.
But the appeals have been dismissed. In its decision, the GFA Appeals Committee stated that the evidence presented to the Committee supports the Disciplinary Committee’s conclusion that the match was not played competitively or under competitive conditions.
The Appeals Committee concluded that “We endorse all sanctions imposed by the GFA Disciplinary Committee on the Clubs, Players and Officers”.
The Appeals Committee Decision has been forwarded to the parties.
The GFA will now have to find replacements for both clubs in their respective leagues.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana