By Rebecca Ampah
A retired Referee of the Ghana Football Association, Thomas Nunoo, has reacted to the incident that unfolded during the First week game of the BetPawa Premier League between Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Lions where a goal was ruled out for offside, saying the decision by the Referee was biased.
According to Mr. Nunoo, offside in football deals with positions, and from the replays of the match, the position of the goalscorer cannot be justified as offside but rather at the onside position. He added that the Referee’s decision needs to be justified not by mere words but by technicalities.
“An offside position refers to a player who is closer to the opponent’s goal line than the ball itself, it is not enough to say that a player is in an offside position and therefore is to be penalised,” he said.
He stated in a phone interview with Maltiti Sayida Saddick on GTV’s Breakfast Show on September 19, 2023, that he would, in the position of the centre referee, have accepted the goal. He added that the goal to him was nothing close to what it was tagged to be but rather a clean and worked goal.
He further admonished all referees and football administrators to strive to do away with such minor errors during football matches because they destroy the beauty and interest of the game.
He called for vigilant officiating and observation of the Ghanaian League by officials and administrators to preserve the sanity of the football game.
“Everybody must look sharp,” he added.
