Former Ghana Football Association EXCO Member Albert Commey has apologized for his claims that some Ghana Premier League matches were fixed, citing illness as the reason.
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Mr. Commey accused several clubs including Hearts of Oak of match-fixing, he claimed that the match between the Phobians and Real Tamale United, which resulted 4-1 in favor of the Tamale United, was manipulated.
RTU entered the game desperate for three points. It was their only hope of avoiding relegation from the top flight and they recorded a shocking result to stay up.
He also accused that the match between his team AshantiGold and Bibiani GoldStars, in which Yaw Annor scored two goals to win the golden boot, was fixed.
Match-fixing allegations has been predominant in the local media, the claim by the top official further damages and completely obliterates the local football brand.
The former Eleven Wonders Chief Executive was summoned to the Ghana FA’s Ethics Committee to provide proof for his outrageous allegations, which appear to have harmed the league’s reputation.
However, he has now apologized and withdrawn his claims
“I have realized that the interview I granted to Space FM in Sunyani recently has generated a lot of controversy among the football fraternity, especially the clubs whose names I mentioned in the said interview”, Commey said in a portion of his statement.
“I apologize unreservedly to the Ghana Football Association for making such unpleasant comments and hereby retract anything I said in the interview. I must admit that I have been unwell for the past three months.”
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Commey’s club AshantiGold are fighting their demotion to the country’s third tier after being found guilty of match-fixing two seasons ago together with Inter Allies, with players and officials of both clubs also sanctioned for match-fixing.
In a Premier League game between the two sides in September 2021 which ended 7-0 in favor of the Obuasi-based club saw with Hashmin Musah scoring two own goals as he claimed to try and prevent a fixed game with a 5-1 scoreline.
Musah’s claims and notifications of suspicious betting patterns were investigated by the Ghana Football Association (GFA), who have found both teams guilty of match manipulation.
As well as both teams having to play Division Two football next season, several club officials, coaches, and players were banned from football.
The most severe sanction was given to Inter Allies volunteer Emmanuel Nii Amoah, also known as Nii Gogo, who was barred for life for his role in the fix.
Ashanti Gold president Dr. Kwaku Frimpong was given a 10-year ban and fined 100,000 Ghanaian Cedis ($13,000) while his son Emmanuel Frimpong, the club’s chief executive, got an eight-year ban and a fine of 50,000 Ghanaian Cedis.
Musah himself was banned for two years but his sanction was reduced to six months for his role in “unraveling” the fixed match.
However, Musah was “warned not to take the law into his hands” and reminded of his duty “to disclose any such occurring to the GFA” through its integrity hotline.
Four other men – the respective head coaches and team managers from both clubs – were all banned for two years.
Fourteen Ashanti Gold players were suspended for between two and four years and the club’s sporting director was also given a four-year ban.
