AshGold refuse to honour FA Cup quarter final clash against Kotoko, match called off

Published on: 13 April 2014
AshGold refuse to honour FA Cup quarter final clash against Kotoko, match called off
AshGold failed to travel to Accra for the game

By Ameenu Shardow

Follow on Twitter @alooameenu

The MTN FA Cup quarter final clash between Asante Kotoko and AshantiGold has been called off following the inability of the Miners to travel to Accra to honour the match, GHANAsoccernet.com can confirm.

The Asante Kotoko team and match officials will however walk through the tunnel and line up for the match at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The referee will then blow his whistle to officially signify the ‘no show’ before a crowd to serve ample proof of AshGold’s recalcitrance.

The Miners have refused to travel to Accra for the game citing inadequate funds to foot the cost of their transportation and camping.

The excuse given by the Obuasi-based club is however very much suspect after the FA Cup Committee agreed to provide extra funds to cover their cost for the game originally fixed to be played at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

The game had to be moved from it's original venue following an indefinite ban slapped on the Baba Yara Stadium by the Ghana FA's Executive Committee last week over security concerns.

AshGold were promised a staggering GH6000 (the biggest ever received by any club in the competition) and 25 percent of the total gate proceeds simply to massage their egos to honour the match which was moved to Accra as the result of the ban.

The Miners however refused to make the trip south to honour the match despite the pledges and interventions made by high ranking officials of the Ghana FA.

The situation leaves AshGold open to serious sanctions from the Ghana FA for throwing the FA Cup competition out of gear with their unprofessional stance.

The bigger issue however is the negative knockdown effect the boycott has on the much-craved development of the local game.

The match had been advertised to be beamed live on digital television not to talk of organisational costs in arranging for match officials, security and other logistics necessary for a standard football match.

Various publications have been run by the Ghanaian media all week-long to stimulate interests of the fans in the game that promised to be explosive.

Meanwhile Asante Kotoko are already in camp in Tema preparing feverishly for the match which will definitely not happen.

The Premier League champions will qualify to the last four without kicking a ball while AshGold face the wrath of the Ghana FA.

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