Asante Kotoko have fined assistant coach Diogo Peral after he slapped Medeama SC player Ebenezer Adade during Sunday’s 1-1 Ghana Premier League draw in Kumasi.
The Portuguese coach has also been charged by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) over the incident and has until Wednesday, November 4, to respond and submit his defence to the GFA Disciplinary Committee, the Daily Graphic reported.
The incident happened at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Sunday, November 1, after the ball went out of play.
Adade went to retrieve it for a quick throw-in, but Peral allegedly attempted to delay the restart. According to the Daily Graphic’s account, Adade then pushed the coach to the ground.
Peral rose and slapped the Medeama player before members of the Kotoko bench intervened. The coach was shown a red card.
Kotoko confirmed on Monday, November 2, that Peral had been fined as part of the club’s internal disciplinary process. The amount of the fine was not disclosed.
“The Club wishes to state that such conduct does not reflect the standards and values we uphold at Asante Kotoko,” the club said in a statement carried by MyJoyOnline.
Kotoko acknowledged that football can be an emotional game, but said emotions could not compromise the professionalism and discipline required from anyone representing the club.
After discussions with the club, Peral reportedly accepted that he should have dealt with the situation differently.
The coach’s response will now be considered by the GFA Disciplinary Committee, which will determine whether he should face any additional punishment.
Medeama remain top after draw
Medeama took the lead in the 42nd minute when Osman Safianu headed home a free-kick delivered by Prince Owusu, GNA reported.
Kotoko captain Musah Hamzata equalised 10 minutes into the second half, also scoring with a header. Despite an open final 30 minutes, neither team managed to find a winning goal.
The result was Kotoko’s second successive 1-1 draw, following their match against FC AshantiGold in Obuasi the previous week.
The Porcupine Warriors are ninth in the league with 13 points from nine matches. Medeama remain top with 18 points, level on goal difference with FC Samartex, while Hearts of Oak are third on 17 points.
Medeama are managed by Ibrahim Tanko, who has also been appointed as an assistant to interim Black Stars coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren for this month’s AFCON qualifiers against Somalia.
Kotoko have already faced another disciplinary issue this season. In October, the club was fined GH¢5,000 for failing to publish match highlights.
Their next Ghana Premier League fixture is against Berekum Chelsea.
