This makes the widely believed assertion that Referee Joseph Odartai Lamptey is the first Ghanaian referee to suffer that unfortunate fate untrue.
On Monday, 20 March 2017, Lamptey's severe ban went viral. The referee had been handed the punishment for "manipulating" a World Cup qualifier between South Africa and Senegal in November last year.
Match officials are one of the principal actors in football and their actions and inactions can easily change the outcome of a game. Referees suffer various degrees of punishment, especially suspensions and demotions, but the rare degree of life time bans strikes once in a blue moon.
Few match officials the world over have been outrightly banned from officiating matches, and Ghana has the reputation of experiencing two notable cases.
The first case
FIFA referee A.K.E Edusah in 1993 suffered a life ban after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) found him guilty of manipulating a continental game involving Benin and Gabon.
The Ghana Foofball Association in a release on behalf of CAF on 15th October, 1993 stated that referee Edusah had been banned because he was “at the origin of the very serious incidents which took place in Cotonou on 25th July, 1993 in the 19th Cup of Nations qualifiers between Benin and Gabon”.
According to the GFA’S statement referee Edusah was ineligible to handle any competitive match organised by the either the local association or CAF.
“This means your life as a referee comes to an end,” the statement added.
GFA received the communication from CAF on 3rd October 1993, but the former brought it to public notice on 15th October of the same year.
FIFA accepted CAF’s decision and that signaled the end of his career as a referee.
The Lamptey caseJ.O Lamptey (second from left) seen here with a pose with colleague referees after they officiated Hearts of Oak's 1-0 win over Asante Kotoko in the Ghana Premier League on Sunday. His FIFA life-ban ban was announced a day later.
Joseph Lamptey was punished for "manipulating" South Africa's 2-1 win over Senegal in Polokwane by aiding the home side with a controversial penalty. He penalised Senegal's Kalidou Koulibaly for an alleged handball inside the box, but replays showed the ball hit the defender's knee.
The Confederation of African Football three months ago slapped Lamptey with a three-month ban. FIFA, however, after investigating the matter decided to slap him the hardest, announcing a surprising a life ban.
Joseph Lamptey, who was a FIFA referee until his ban, was widely rated as Ghana’s finest referee, so his predicament has been considered a big blow to football in the country.
He however has the chance to appeal against the decision.
Source: PULSE.COM.GH