Owner and bankroller of Tema Youth FC, Wilfred Osei Kwaku, has accused the Ghana Football Association [GFA] of frustrating his chances of qualifying for the Premier League next season.
The 2019 GFA presidential candidate, speaking in an interview, alleged that there is an attempt by the leadership of the Football Association to ensure that his team does not play in the Ghana Premier League next season.
Palmer, as popularly known, singled out the General Secretary of the Ghana Football Association as the brain behind the hatched job orchestrated by the Ghana Football Association, questioning the selection of certain referees and the deployment of security personnel to games of Tema Youth.
Speaking on Asempa FM on the Ultimate Sports Show, he said, “I’ve heard that the current administration has resolved that I will never come to the Premier League. That’s what it is. The team was in the process of qualifying and they did plus 2 minus 2 to derail the process. There was an orchestrated plan not to allow my team to qualify. Otherwise, they wouldn’t rule one case in a different manner. There is a plan and there is enough evidence to suggest that whatever is being said is happening. We lost just one game last season but couldn’t qualify. I’ve never seen something like this.
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“I was in Tema when they brought eight armed security men from the Jubilee House. After the game, these same armed security men escorted the referee from the pitch. We provided 20 army officers and 25 police officers. This week, I never knew the General Secretary had a new role to appoint referees. It is untenable.
“There are three matches for us to compete for qualification. In the two matches, Premier League referees were appointed. Would it not be sin for only Tema Youth to have Division One referees. Four of the referees came from Eastern Region. Look at the appointments, it has regional balance but not in the case of Tema Youth. I was told that the referees were Linfold Asamoah’s guys.
“We’ve a game against Kotoku Royals but two of my players took red cards and eight received cautions. In the game we were not the worse offenders. I can tell you on authority that the initial appointment had Premiership referees, why were they changed? Because I have a game and they wanted to destroy my team before the next game,” he said.
Palmer’s outburst follows Tema Youth’s goalless drawn game with Nania FC on Sunday, June 5, 2022. Tema Youth suffered two red cards with eight of their players receiving bookings in the game.
Tema Youth are in a three-horse race with Liberty Professionals and Kotoku Royals for a Premier League spot next season.