Retired Referee Joe Debrah gives verdict on Eleven Wonders penalty claims

Chairman of the Referees Association of Ghana, Retired FIFA Referee Joe Debrah has lauded the performance of Referee Adaari in the Ghana Premier League game between Techiman Eleven Wonders FC and Hearts of Oak SC.

The first fixture of Premier League matches week 26 ended with controversies following Eleven Wonders FC claiming they were denied a clear penalty in the first half against visitors Accra Hearts of Oak SC at the Ohene Ameyaw Park on Friday. The Phobias on the 27th minute benefited from a defensive blunder to net the only goal of the game.

However, before the break, a handball situation was ignored by Wa-based Ghanaian Referee Adaari. Which, the home team believes could have changed the true reflection of the game provided a penalty was awarded to them.

The call from Referee Adaari did not sit down with Coach Ignatius Osei Fosu who referred the center man to the StarTimes TV app on his mobile phone. Nevertheless, the penalty was not awarded leading to Eleven Wonders FC defeat at home.

Speaking in an interview with ghanasportspage.com Retired Ghanaian FIFA Referee Joe Debrah depth dip to offer a lesson to why Referee Adaari deserves an applaud after ignoring the handball on Robert Addo Sowah.

“It wasn’t a handball, not at all. The referee would have pointed to the spot if indeed that was a penalty”I have seen the pictures and watched the video”

“The ball hitting the hand is no crime under the law, the law says when the hand is on a natural position, quick to say natural position means when the fingers are pointing down so when the fingers the always pointing down you will make it through to your gate but when it’s up that means when your shoulder or arm will touch your gate”

“FIFA rules say, when your hand is on your side then the ball hit your hand it’s a ball to hand”

“But when you raise your hand/arm to occupy space to stop a ball it’s a foul”Whether you raise your hand intensionally or carelessly since you raised your hand is foul. For you to enlarge your body is a foul”

“In law, they say perpurposeful approach, every Judge will not surpass this in a ruling…We must use the perpurposeful approach so you don’t go to defeat the purpose of which the law was created”

“Already, we were having problems with handball situations, So far as it got the hand is a penalty or foul. FIFA in his wisdom says it’s not all balls that hit the hand means foul/penalty”

“Then he went on to say, in a natural positioning your hand when a ball hit your hand it’s not a penalty”, Joe Debrah concluded.

Story by Kolog Bonaventure