The Match Review Panel of the Ghana Football Association received a complaint from Liberty Professionals about the conduct of Referee Qatari during their Premier League Match day 15 game against Karela United.
According to Liberty, referee Qadari awarded a penalty in the 85th minute of the match in favour of Liberty Professionals. However after series of consultations with his colleague officiating officials he changed his earlier decision from penalty to a NO FOUL.
The Panel found that during the consultations, the entire players of Liberty Professionals including the goalkeeper who is the captain, were in the penalty area of Karela FC to find out the final decision of the referee.
Even though all the players (Liberty Profs.) were in the penalty area of Karela FC, the referee dropped the ball to the goalkeeper of Karela in his penalty area and the goalkeeper immediately passed the ball to his teammate which resulted in a goal which was planted in an empty net without contestation from players of Liberty Professionals.
After watching the video, the Match Review panel found that the goalkeeper of Karela made contact with the ball and not the attacker as such there was NO FOUL to warrant a penalty. The referee after taking the penalty, later changed it to a drop ball.
The Panel also observed that the Match Officials for the game on that day did not handle the 85th minute incident professionally and per the dictates of the Laws of the Game their decision and indecisions ended the match abruptly.
DECISION
The Match Review Panel therefore recommends that Referee Abdul-Latif Qadir should be suspended for the rest of the Premier League season.
Assistant Referee 2 Richard Appiah is hereby commended for his timely intervention of a NO FOUL decision which abated a possible disaster.
