A referee and his assistant have each been handed eight-match bans for allowing a “ghost goal” to stand in the game between Bolga All Stars and Unity FC in the Division One League.
Unity FC complained that a 66th-minute free-kick from All Stars, adjudged to have crossed the line was kept out by their goalkeeper.
Despite their on-field protests, the officials, Ali Asante and his assistant, Donmua Moro Ahmed, awarded the goal.
Unity also complained to the GFA that the officials denied them a goalscoring opportunity in the 71st minute with a wrong offside call.
The GFA’s Review Panel found after reviewing footage from the game that the whole of the ball did not cross the line and the goal shouldn’t have been awarded.
Despite initially sharing the assistant referee’s assertion that the ball crossed the line in his defence, he later called back to state that “because of his position he was unable to see it clearly.”
The second complaint could not be identified in the video provided as evidence.
The Review Panel handed the pair eight-match suspensions each.
