Ghana FA respond to SAFA's FIFA complaint Bafana Bafana

Ayew vs Bafana Bafana for Ghana – Photo: GhanaSoccerNet / Twitter

WATCH | Ghanaian broadcast journalists debate the penalty decision-‘Spirit of his touch brought Amartey down’

Penalty or no penalty? Well while the decision in South Africa is seemingly unanimous, it seems like, predictably, in Ghana it is too.

Ghana FA respond to SAFA's FIFA complaint Bafana Bafana

Ayew vs Bafana Bafana for Ghana – Photo: GhanaSoccerNet / Twitter

Penalty or no penalty? Well while the decision in South Africa is seemingly unanimous, it seems like, predictably, in Ghana it is too. 

READ | SAFA MAKE DECISION ON THE GHANA-BAFANA BAFANA OFFICIATING

In South Africa the resounding answer is that it was not a penalty, while in Ghana it is also unanimous that it was, but SAFA and Bafana Bafana may yet have some allies.

The penalty knocked Bafana Bafana out of World Cup contention

Bafana Bafana were knocked out of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers by Ghana on Sunday evening, with SAFA lodging an appeal over the result. It was a penalty decision that proved to be the difference between the visitors and their hosts Ghana, with the dubious nature of that penalty leading to a SAFA appeal. 

READ | WATCH | THE DUBIOUS GHANA PENALTY DECISION THAT KNOCKED BAFANA BAFANA OUT OF THE WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

Ghana were awarded a controversial penalty by Senegalese referee Maguette Ndiaye which was converted by the Black Stars who ultimately knocked Bafana Bafana out of the World Cup Qualifiers for 2022 Qatar World Cup

Controversial circumstances of the penalty

The penalty came from a Ghanaian corner which saw the ball finding its way all the way to Daniel Amartey in the Bafana Bafana box. With just the merest of touches on the shoulder from Mamelodi Sundowns defender Rushine de Reuck, the Leicester City utility player went down to the ground in the most theatrical fashion imaginable, with Ndiaye pointing to the spot immediately. 

READ | POTENTIAL BAD NEWS FOR BAFANA BAFANA? HERE’S THE ONE ASPECT THAT SECURED SENEGAL THE REPLAY BUT COULD HAMPER SAFA’S APPEAL

with Andre Ayew, who was earning his landmark 100th appearance for Ghana on the night, stepping up as the captain, slotting the spot kick away, and sending Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams the wrong way in the process. In the end that goal would prove to be the decisive one as it sent the home side to the play-off round of the World Cup Qualifiers and the visitors home.

SAFA confirmed their intent to appeal to FIFA

After an outpour of outrage from Bafana Bafana fans and current and former players, coaches and sports pundits SAFA CEO Teboho Motlanthe then vowed that they will fight the matter and seek the intervention of both FIFA and CAF for this matter. 

READ | FIFA MAKE DECISION ON BENIN-DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO APPEAL AND IT COULD SPELL BAD NEWS FOR BAFANA BAFANA

Now while SAFA held a public briefing on the evidence they hope to present to FIFA, in order to try force a replay of the Ghana vs Bafana Bafana fixture, after finding that the actions of Ndiaye were at least 90% biased, A video from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation has since emerged on their official Twitter account.

Ghana reporters debate the penalty decision

The video features two of their broadcast journalists debating the validity of the Ghana penalty against Bafana Bafana. One of the reporters was not convinced that de Reuck’s contact on Amartey was enough to make him fall like that, asking “Are his hands cement blocks?”. The other reporter then responded by saying it was the ‘spirit’ of the defender brought Amartey down.

READ | GHANA FA FINALLY BREAK THEIR SILENCE OF SAFA’S FIFA COMPLAINT

Watch the debate video below: