The Professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG) and the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPRO) have lauded the ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) which annulled the one year ban imposed on Ghanaian defender, Ofosu Appiah by the Latvian Football Federation (LFF) for alleged involvement in match-fixing.
The 32-year old former Ashanti Gold, Asante Kotoko defender was handed a one-year ban by the LFF in July 2021 for his alleged involvement in match fixing while playing for the now defunct club FC Noah Jurmala when he was sanctioned, preventing him from taking part in any organised football.
The defender, popularly know as Escoba during his playing days in Ghana, was sanctioned by the LFF based on what FIFPRO has described as “a worrying trend in football where players are sanctioned without proper evidence for alleged involvement in match-fixing”. FIFPRO stated, that “the evidence presented is mainly based on reports of sports data companies and a subjective analysis of the match”.
In a statement published on Friday, FIFPRO announced:
“FIFPRO and the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana welcome the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to annul a decision banning the Ghanaian player, Ofosu Appiah, from organized football for one year”, it said in its statement.
The PFAG also tweeted its side of the situation, going fully in support of their client.
Ofosu Appiah, having been vindicated by the CAS ruling, is highly elated to have been afforded the opportunity to return to the field of play even as he edges closer to the twilight of his career.
“I am very happy that I can finally play again. What the Latvian Football Federation did to me was unfair and affected my family and I in a very serious way.
“I was not able to work and earned no money for months. I am hoping that the Latvian Football Federation will negotiate a settlement with me so I don’t have to start a new court case for the damage that they have done to my career.”, he told the FIFPRO website in an interview.
Picture Credit: FIFPRO
