BREAKING NEWS: CAS free 21 players involved in AshantiGold vs Inter Allies match fixing [STATEMENT]

The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has temporarily lifted respective bans placed on twenty-one (21) players for their involvement in match manipulation during the 2020/21 Ghana Premier League season.

Following a lengthy investigation by the Disciplinary Committee of the Ghana Football Association [GFA], it was established both clubs played a match of convenience.

The matchday 34 game played at the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium shockingly ended 7-2 in favor of Ashgold.

A total of twenty-one (21) footballers were slapped with bans by the GFA for their involvement in the manipulation.

An Inter Allies player, Hashmin Musah, scored two own goals and later admitted his action was to spoil a bet placed on the said game.

The following players were banned for 24 months each, for their apparent involvement in fixing the game.

Inter Allies players namely Mohammed Zakari, Richard Acquaah, Shaibu Taufiq, and Felix Abuska received 24-month bans for their involvement in the said game.

Five others; Danso Wiredu Mensah (goalkeeper), Alex Aso, Abdul Kadir Mohammed, Isah Ali – Player, and Andy Okpe, were also banned for failing to appear before the GFA’s Disciplinary Committee, and also received 24-month bans.

Hashmin Musah, who scored two intentional own goals to scupper the fixed result was handed a reduced 6-month ban for his whistleblower role, while Richmond Lamptey, who now plays for Asante Kotoko, was given a 30-month ban for attempting to stake a bet on the fixed result.

However, Stephen Owusu Banahene, Dacosta Ampem, Frank Akoto, Agyemang Isaac Opoku, Amos Kofi Nkrumah, Eric Esso, Moses Kwame, and Solomon Afriyie all of Ashgold were banned.

Samed Mohammed, Player number 32 and Seth Osei received a 30-month (2.5 years) ban each for their involvement in fixing the game, and also verbally abusing Inter Allies officials for bringing on Hashmin Musah, who ‘spoilt’ the bet with his two intentional own goals.

Emmanuel Owusu, Mohammed Bailou, Amos Addai, and Paul De Vries Asare who failed to appear before the Disciplinary Committee have also been banned for 48 (4 years) months each.

Richmond Lamptey, however, is excluded from this directive as the Asante Kotoko midfielder was not part of the 21 players listed by FIFPro in their appeal.

However, in a statement signed by Elizabeth Steiner, the Deputy President of CAS has ordered for the lift of the ban on the players.

This was after an appeal was filed on the player's behalf by FIFPRO through the PFAG.

The decision also allows the players to be registered by their respective clubs for the 2022/23 football season. They can also play competitive football while the case is heard and determined by CAS.