The Chairman of the MTN FA Cup Committee, Mr Wilson Arthur, has expressed disappointment at football clubs taking advantage of the recent troubles in the Ghana Premier League (GPL) to make unfair demands of the Football Association.
SPEAKING ON AN ACCra based radio station, Asempa FM, on Wednesday, Mr Arthur said some of the demands and reactions from the incident at Nsoatre involving Nsoatreman and Kumasi Asante Kotoko have been too harsh and unrealistic.
His comments followed the incident at Nsoatre where players of the two sides engaged in a free for all brawl, stretching to some chaotic scenes at the stadium from which a Kotoko fan, Francis Yaw Frimpong, aka Nana Pooley, was stabbed to death on February 2.
Since then, elite football league has grinded to a halt while traditional giants, Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko, jointly called for certain conditions to be met before the restart of the competition.
The demands by the two clubs to grant them automatic slots on the FA’s Executive Committee is also making the resumption of the competition difficult as they vow to return only when that was granted by the FA.
Mr Arthur described it as “very disappointing, to say the least. Some of these demands are just outrageous.”
According to him “at times situation plus response gives outcomes; whatever situation that comes up, the outcome you get depends on the response you choose.”
“Personally, I am very disappointed that Hearts and Kotoko are taking advantage of the stabbing incident to demand certain things; but for the incident, what would have become of such demands?”
According to Mr Arthur, what was happening was very unfortunate, and questioned why those clubs didn’t demand the same after the May 9 disaster.
“Those demands are unfortunate. If Hearts of Oak or Asante Kotoko sends candidates for an Executive Committee seat, they would be voted for automatically because they bring competent people, and we respect THEM.
“So, why do they want it to be automatic? What are they trying to tell the rest of the clubs in this democratic era, when we are all equal despite the huge respect we have for them?” he indicated.
He noted that there was nothing like an automatic slot on the Executive Committee.
“When you are a mighty club, it comes with advantages, but when it gets to voting among others, we are equal, and that is what it is,” he added.
He used the opportunity to announce that the MTN FA Cup Round of 16 games will go ahead this weekend without the Kotoko versus Sekondi Eleven Wise fixture scheduled for the Baba Yara Stadium.
“The Executive Committee of the GFA is handling that issue, and Kotoko as a club will come out with an official statement regarding that game,” he state
BY RAYMOND ACKUMEY
