<<Print>>

Ghanaian football fans can now heave a sigh of relief following the decision of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to commence the long-awaited 2014/ 15 First Capital Plus Premier League on January 7, next year. Prior to the commencement of the league, the GFA will convene its congress on December 30, 2014 to formally draw the curtain on the previous season and usher in the new football season. The GFA congress was originally fixed for September 12, 2014 at Prampram but was aborted at the last minute by a restraining order from the president of King Faisal, Alhaji Karim Gruzah. The GFA-King Faisal dispute has delayed the new season for close to three months since the league was scheduled to commence on September 21, 2014. The General Secretary of the FA, Emmanuel Gyimah, told the Graphic Sports yesterday that the FA would respond to the court�s order to file an undertaking to grant King Faisal an automatic qualification in case it wins the substantive case pending before the court. �This is a court oder and so we have to abide by it�, Mr Gyimah added. After almost three months of legal battle between King Faisal FC on one hand, and the GFA and Aduana Stars, on the other, after the latter had filed for an injunction to prevent the GFA from organising its congress to usher in the new season and also pave way for the commencement of the 2014/ 15 football season, an Accra Human Rights Court last Monday ruled that the GFA could go ahead to hold its annual congress. The court's ruling came as a refreshing news for the GFA and all football lovers as they could now plan for the League and other programmes as far as the FA calendar was concerned. The court in its ruling also gave the GFA seven days to file an undertaking to grant King Faisal, an automatic qualification in case it won the substantive case still pending before the court. Earlier rulings by the court dismissed Faisal�s request for the decisions of the GFA Disciplinary and Appeals Committees to be reviewed. Faisal, who were trapped in the relegation net after the last league, are contesting the FA and Aduana Stars on the grounds that the latter should lose some points for failing to pay a particular fine within the stipulated 14 days in accordance with the GFA regulatutions. However, Faisal lost the case at the GFA Disciplinary and Appeals Committees respectively and decided to seek redress in court. Sharing his thoughts on the ruling, the CEO of Aduana Stars, Mr Albert Commey, said �It is victory for the game of football as well as victory for all stakeholders who love football�.