SAFA Complaints: Provide us with any comments deemed appropriate by November 20 – FIFA to GFA
On Monday, FIFA confirmed receiving a complaint from South Africa FA following their 1-0 defeat against Ghana in the last game of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers at the Cape Coast Stadium on Sunday.
South Africa feel they were ‘robbed’ and announced they would be petitioning both CAF and FIFA for a replay of the match after Daniel Amartey was brought down in the penalty box with Dede Ayew slotting home the penalty to put Ghana in the playoffs.
“FIFA has received a complaint from the South African FA in relation to this matter and will review it. Please understand we cannot comment further at this stage,” noted FIFA in an earlier statement.
O,n Wednesday, the World football governing body FiFA, has now directed the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to provide the secretariat of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee with any comments it deems appropriate on the protest filed by South Africa Football Association (SAFA) by November 20, 2021.
In a letter dated November 17, 2021, to SAFA, copying the Ghana FA, FIFA said the protest filed by the football association of South Africa will be forwarded to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on November 23, 2021 for consideration and decision.
“We wish to inform the South African Football Association as well as the Ghana Football Association that the above-mentioned protest will be submitted to a member of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on 23 November 2021 for consideration and decision in accordance with art. 14 (9) of the Regulations FIFA World Cup 2022TM, Preliminary Competition as well as arts. 46 and 54 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC)”.
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“The Ghana Football Association has the opportunity to provide the secretariat of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee with any comments it deems appropriate on the aforementioned protest, if any, by 20 November 2021 at the latest, along with any document deemed necessary.”
“Finally, for the sake of clarity, please be informed that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee will decide on the protest using the file in its possession (cf. art. 20 par. 5 of the FDC),” the statement read.
With the draw for the play-offs scheduled for December, FIFA’s decision is expected to soon settle the matter.