The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced that the betPawa Premier League will take a break during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 finals scheduled for November 20 to December 18, 2022.
This followed a directive from the World Football governing body, FIFA.
Meanwhile, following the decision of the Executive Council to resume the betPawa Premier League after the dismissal of the injunction application and engagements with the 18 Premier League clubs, dates for Matchday 4 – Matchday 8 of the betPawa Premier League have been revised.
The Match day four fixtures are scheduled for October 29 to October 31, 2022. The means the betPawa Premier League will resume this weekend with some juicy fixtures to look forward to after a month-long break.
Champions Asante Kotoko will clash with rivals, King Faisal, at the Baba Yara Sports stadium on Monday, October 31, 2022 while Accra Hearts of Oak hosts Bibiani Gold Stars at the Accra Sports stadium on Saturday, October 29, 2022.
Newly promoted side Tamale City Football Club, which is yet to win a match in the League, will lock horns with city rivals, Real Tamale United, at the Aliu Mahama stadium at 3pm on Monday, October 31, 2022.
Elsewhere, Samartex plays host to Accra Great Olympics at the Akoon Park while Medeama SC entertains Aduana FC on Sunday, October 30, 2022.
Per the new calendar, the outstanding match between Asante Kotoko and Bechem United will be played on Thursday, November 3, 2022. Matchday 5 will be played between November 4 to November 7, 2022.
Deployment of stewards at league centers
As part of efforts to maintain sanity in all GFA organized league competitions, the Safety and Security Committee of the GFA issued a strong warning and reminder to all clubs that, deployed Club Stewards and other unregistered club officials are not allowed in the Inner perimeter and dressing room areas on match days.
“Clubs are to note that only GFA trained and approved stewards can be deployed on Matchdays to perform duties outside the inner perimeter. Any club who deploys person(s) who haven’t been trained and approved by the GFA shall be punished accordingly.
“Any club whose Stewards violate any of the aforementioned instructions shall be punished accordingly and the said steward shall be banned permanently from all football related activities.”
GFA
Match Commissioners are to ensure and enforce this directive and report conducts of stewards to the GFA.
Accra high court dismisses injunction against GFA
The resumption of the betPawa Premier League followed the ruling by an Accra High Court (Human Rights Division) that dismissed the Application for Injunction filed by AshantiGold SC against the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
The applicant failed to meet two of the three legal requirements needed for the grant of an injunction of this nature especially on the balance of convenience. The Court concluded that greater hardship will be visited on the GFA, the current 18 clubs of the betPawa Premier League, the Players, the Sponsors, Referees, Match Commissioners and other key service providers.
The court therefore, awarded a cost of GHc20,000 against AshantiGold SC. The Ghana Football Association, in a statement, noted that it will publish the full decision in due course.
On September 29, 2022, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) decided to put the betPawa Premier League on hold.
The decision, according to the GFA, followed a Motion on Notice for Injunction filed on September 28, 2022 at the Human Rights High Court by Ashantigold SC and served on the GFA’s lawyers.
Following the receipt of the Motion, the Association decided to put the league on hold until the determination of a Motion on Notice for Injunction by the court on October 14, 2022. However, the date of the hearing was adjourned to October 25, 2022 on which the court took the decision to allow the league go ahead while the case continues in court.
In May 2022, Ashantigold SC and Inter Allies FC were demoted to the Division Two League effective the 2022/23 league season after being found guilty of match fixing allegations.
