The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has explained the last-minute change in referees for the MTN FA Cup final between Asante Kotoko and Golden Kick. Originally, Selorm Yao Bless was set to referee the game, but he suffered a knock just before the match and was replaced by Fourth Official Latif Abdul Adaari.”The decision was in line with standard practice, where the fourth referee assumes the role of centre referee in case of injury or illness to the main referee,” the GFA stated. “The replacement was necessitated by the circumstances and not due to any conspiracy theories circulating in the public domain.”The change was made to ensure the game proceeded without delay. Adaari took over as the referee, and the match continued. The GFA’s explanation aims to dispel speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding the referee change, emphasizing that it was a necessary decision based on standard protocols. The FA Cup final ended with Asante Kotoko winning 2-1, thanks to Kwame Opoku’s brace, including a penalty awarded by Adaari in the final minutes.
