Asante Kotoko’s interim coach, Abdulai Gazale, expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance of referee Moro Osman, claiming that his decisions favored Karela United in their Ghana Premier League week 32 encounter of the 2022/23 season.
The match, which took place at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi, ended in a 1-1 draw on Monday.
Gazale criticized the officiating, suggesting that the referee had biased intentions to hinder Asante Kotoko’s chances of securing a victory.
In a post-match interview, he voiced his disappointment with the quality of refereeing, stating, “The game was highly competitive, but the officiating was extremely poor.”
The turning point, according to Gazale, occurred when the referee failed to award a penalty to Asante Kotoko. He firmly believed that his team should have been granted a clear penalty for a handball incident. Gazale highlighted the crowd’s reaction as further evidence of the perceived injustice.
“Due to the referee’s failure to award us a clear penalty that was in our favor, it was an obvious handball. You witnessed the crowd’s reaction, and this is truly disheartening.”
Despite the draw, Asante Kotoko’s position in the Ghana Premier League standings improved from fifth to fourth. The Porcupine Warriors now have accumulated 48 points from 32 matches.
