Referee Selorm Yao Bless was left in a state of perplexity when Bibiani Gold Stars played host to Accra Hearts of Oak in the week 21 fixture of the betPawa Premier League at Dun’s Park.
Eric Ofori Antwi, affectionately known as Alawa, Hearts of Oak’s goalkeeper, was stunned by a sixth-minute Evans Owusu chipped cross. The Phobians responded with a ninety-ninth-minute Isaac Mensah header after which both clubs shared the spoils at the end of the game. It was an enthusiastically contested game of near misses, which saw tackles flying left, right and centre.
Chances went begging due to indecisiveness in front of the goal. But for this, recording an avalanche of goals should have been the story. Funnily enough, despite the ”ohs” and the ”ahs” that followed the hemming and hewing in front of the goal, the centre referee, Selorm Yao Bless, through his actions made himself the subject of discussion after the match over his over sixty second moment of dilly-dallying.
A seventy-fifth-minute right-footed strike from the Phobian Cameroonian import, Albert Eonde, deflected off the thighs of Samuel Amofa unto his hand – This was the bone of contention. It wasn’t a penalty. The right call and the referee’s exact decision. But the wasting of time in uncertainty gave thought to suspicion. Perhaps, another game day and another exhibition of officiating error.
Prior to this(The Selorm Yao Bless incident), innumerable officiating errors questioned the competence of referees in the league. Abysmal performances from Referee Selorm Yao Bless himself, Kennedy Padi and Jacob Aduntera raised eyebrows and kept opinions divided on the causes of sub-par officiating. Hence, any other atrocious decision by Referee Selorm Yao Bless could have added insult to injury, knowing the bad reputation referees already had.
After over ten days of pondering on the aforesaid incident(The Selorm Yao Bless incident) and what the major reason for poor officiating in the league could be, I am deep-rooted in confusion. Is it unintelligent? Unavailability of digital assistance? Or a combination of the two. Your views are Welcome.
Story by: Nyarko-Boateng Emmanuel (King Kooemma).
