2018 WCQ: Ghana’s Deputy Sports Minister Pius Hadzide blasts referee Daniel Bennett and backs GFA to pursue protest

Published on: 09 October 2017
2018 WCQ: Ghana’s Deputy Sports Minister Pius Hadzide blasts referee Daniel Bennett and backs GFA to pursue protest
Deputy Sports Minister, Hon. Pius Hadzide

Ghana’s Deputy Sports Minister Hon. Pius Enam Hadzide has blasted South African referee Daniel Bennett for disallowing a legitimate goal scored by Ghana during the 2018 World Cup qualifier with Uganda in Kampala and has backed the Ghana FA to pursue the protest against the referee.

The Deputy Minister who was at the Nelson Mandela National Stadium in Namboole, Kampala was devastated after the South African disallowed the goal.

Substitute Raphael Dwamena scored from a rebound after Thomas Partey’s thunderous strike hit the chest of Uganda goalie Dennis Onyango.

Hon. Pius Hadzide in an interview with GHANAsoccernet.com after the game in Uganda furiously urged the Ghana FA to launch an official protest against the referee.

“I felt that the referee didn’t exercise restrained and diligence and in my view acted unprofessionally by disallowing what in my estimation were two clear goals and even a penalty was not awarded,” he told GHANAsoccernet.com.

“I’m not a referee but my ordinary viewing of the game indicates to me that, especially the last goal couldn’t have been an offside goal,” he added.

Shortly after the interview with GHANAsoccernet.com, the unhappy Deputy Minister took to social media pouring his disappointment in Daniel Bennett on his Facebook wall.

“I was at the Mandela National Stadium in Uganda and I watched the match. For good reasons, I have not commented about what clearly is a huge embarrassment to African football. To answer directly to your several queries, I state as follows; the Ghana FA has our fullest support to take any rightful steps to remedy the situation and to seek redress. In that regard we endorse the call for FIFA to investigate the circumstances under which Ghana was robbed of a deserved victory in its World Cup qualifier against Uganda on Saturday October 7 and apply sanctions duly. We also support the call for a rematch. The wrongs must be corrected. Ghana is a member of FIFA in good standing. Our rights must be guaranteed and FIFA must live by its "fair play" mantra. In our game against Congo in Ghana, similar occurrences happened,” the worried minister posted.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has already lodged a protest with FIFA over the performance of referee Daniel Bennett and his assistants Eldrick Adelaide and Steve Marie for their dubious officiating during the game.

The GFA filed the protest to football's world governing body, FIFA, immediately after the match at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala stating that Daniel Bennett and assistants denied Ghana a perfect goal in the 93rd minute with television replays showing that it was a perfect goal.                 T

“He also denied Ghana a penalty earlier in the second-half when Ghana midfielder Frank Acheampong was brought down in the box,” the statement of the GFA read.

Ghana will hopes of making it to the World Cup in Russia in 2018 have been shuttered following Egypt’s win over Congo on Sunday and the outcome of the protest will be inconsequential to Egypt’s qualification.

But the Deputy Minister says the GFA must pursue the matter to its fullest conclusion.

By: Sheikh Tophic Sienu @desheikh1 on twitter

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