Olympics gained promotion to the top-flight on Saturday but a seemingly legitimate protest over fielding an unqualified player is restraining their celebration. This comes after Olympics conceded on Friday night that they fielded an unqualified player in the Middle League in their 2-1 win over Tudu Mighty Jets on Wednesday. The grave offence automatically attracts a three-point deduction while the club must forgo the three points in their underserved win.
Yet the chairman of the disciplinary committee, Farouk Seidu, dismissed the case even though Olympics admitted at the hearing that midfielder George Brako was not qualified to play in the match against Tudu-based team. According to Article 26, 3c of the GFA statues, the cards of players must be embossed with the GFA�s logo ratifying the player�s card to play in any competitive competition.
Brako�s card was not embossed at the time he played against Mighty Jets which was the basis for the protest and was expected to be a straight forward case. At the ruling, Olympics prayed to be fined for the offence and not to be deducted points for fielding an unqualified player. But in a negatively shocking ruling, Seidu dismissed the case despite the admission for Olympics and gave no reasons for his judgement, tainting the GFA�s and its judge�s reputation.
This has given Mighty Jets no option but to consider an appeal, bringing into sharp focus the issue of clubs sending the GFA to court over injustice.
A long drawn-out case is expected which will delay the start of the country�s top-flight league and also kill corporate interest in what is seen by many as corruption in the GFA�s legal arms. In recent times several clubs have threatened the GFA over the justice system where the rights of several clubs have violated in suspicious circumstances.
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