Nations FC could be hit with a forfeiture ruling following their decision to walk off the pitch during their Ghana Premier League Matchday 33 clash with Basake Holy Stars at the Ampain AAK II Sports Arena, a move that may have major implications for the title race.
The game ended prematurely after Nations FC refused to continue play, citing poor officiating and inadequate security.
The situation escalated when the club’s owner, Dr. Kwame Kyei, and club president, Divine Kyei Boadu, were reportedly assaulted, prompting the team to abandon the match in protest.
However, under the Ghana Football Association’s (GFA) regulations, Nations FC may have breached Article 33(1)(a) of the GFA Disciplinary Code, which addresses walk-offs and refusal to continue play:
“A team commits an offence punishable by forfeiture of a match where that team walks off the field of play or refuses to continue play.”
The article further clarifies that:
“No matter what the scores shall be at the time of the offence or at the end of the match, the offending team shall be considered as having lost the match and accordingly, three (3) points and three (3) goals shall be awarded in favour of the other team, unless the innocent team is leading by a margin of more than three (3) goals at the time of the offence; in which case, the scores will stand.”
Should this rule be enforced, Basake Holy Stars would be awarded a 3-0 victory, and Nations FC could lose critical points in a tightly contested title race.
They currently sit at on top of the league table with one match remaining, and any point deduction could hand an advantage to rivals such as Asante Kotoko or Gold Stars.
The GFA is yet to issue an official verdict on the incident, but all eyes are on the governing body to enforce its regulations consistently as the season approaches its dramatic conclusion.
