Referee R.M. Kwaning under pressure

Accra, July 10, GNA - The name of referee R.M. Kwaning of Nsawam and his two assistants, Innocentia Agbavitor and Tetteh Opae of Ho and Koforidua will remain the subject of discussion at least for the next few days following their unimpressive performance in the 12th week Premier League match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi King Faisal at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in Accra last Sunday.

Referee Kwaning's performance could not meet the satisfaction of the two sides that compelled Alhaji Abdul Karim Gruzah, Chairman of King Faisal to order his boys to move out of the pitch in protest against an equalizer scored by George Eranio, whilst fans of Hearts consistently threw in missiles and bagged water unto the pitch to register their protest against the knights of the whistle during the match.

Coach Francis Oti-Akenten of King Faisal blamed the defeat of his side to Hearts at the door-steps of the referee, arguing that the referee contributed immensely to the victory of Hearts.

Speaking to the GNA Sports, the coach said the referee took series of inconsistent decisions and allowed Hearts to score two faulty goals, which handed them the maximum three points at stake.

"The referee intentionally ignored an infringement against my side in the vital area and this paved the way for Eranio to clinch the equalizer whilst Issah Mohammed's winning goal was a clear hand ball", the coach lamented.

He said the performance of the referee put a question mark on his competence and wondered whether he would be strong enough to handle matches of international standard.

According to the coach, the referee allowed himself to be intimidated by the taunts of the home fans even though he was on top of the situation at the beginning of the match, but lost control as the game progressed.

"It was a game we could have won but the referee took it away from us, I think if these things continue in the game, our football will never make any progress".

"These are some of the reasons why our big teams continue to experience early exit from continental competitions and it's time to put a stop to it ". Coach Oti-Akenten stated.

Coach Siegfried Bahner of Accra Hearts of Oak did not spare the coach either, even though he side won the match.

He also accused referee Kwaning of ignoring two clear penalties that should have gone his Club's way as well as allowing unfair tackles against his players.

The German coach was, however, of the view that the coach is also fallible since he is human and could make mistakes. 10 July 05