The National instructor for Referees Association of Ghana, Referee Retired Richard Thomas Attifu says the Ghana Football Association(GFA) should consider holding a seminar on laws of the game for all stakeholders after the end of the first round of the 2019/20 Ghana Premier League.
According to Atifu, the seminar is needed to help educate supporters on certain decisions made by referees during the course of games.
Thomas Attifu stated some media houses turn to misinform the public on certain decisions by the referees which leads to agitations from fans, thus the need for the seminar to correct that.
“We must hold seminars for coaches, football administrators and the media after this round of games”, he told Happy FM.
“Inasmuch as comments that are coming from coaches and spectators are important, they must be constructive. Most of the spectators are passing their comments based on what they hear on radio and from commentators”.
He further said there has been much improvement in refereeing in the ongoing season.
“We may say we haven’t gotten there yet but there’s a vast improvement from previous officiating”.
Meanwhile, the Referee’s Committee has commended Referee Emmanuel Eshun for his performance in the Ghana Premier League Matchday six match between Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko in Accra.
Hearts of Oak quoting law 12 of the FIFA regulations under the sub heading HANDLING THE BALL, protested against Referee Eshun’s decision to give Kotoko a late penalty and claimed that the decision was an error.
Hearts of Oak also complained that the Referee denied them a penalty towards the end of the game claiming the ball hit the hand of a Kotoko player in the penalty box.
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The Referees Committee studied the footage and concluded that referee Eshun made a correct handball call within the confines of the law.
According to the Committee the law Hearts quoted isn’t absolute and still allows the referee to make a determination when the ball comes off any part of the body or the player makes a delibrate effort to handle the ball.
Referee Eshun informed the Committee that he gave the penalty because the Hearts defender had his hand in an unnatural position above shoulder level before the ball hit his hand which by law is deemed a foul.
Referee Eshun also stated that the Hearts claim for a penalty was not accurate because the ball came off the thigh of the Kotoko defender.
According to the Referees Committee, Referee Eshun interpreted the laws of the game on hand ball as he is required to do by law on both occasions.
The Committee added that officiating in the Hearts-Kotoko match was commendable.
