The team therefore lodged an appeal calling for a replay of the fixtures instead of the points been given to Biko.
”In the interest of fair play, we had asked the GFF for us to play our rescheduled match first, as was the case with all teams with matches in hand,” said Jane Joof, manager of Samger defending their appeal.
He said the GFF had earlier cancelled that rescheduled match less than 24 hours before kick-off even after assuring them that the fixture would not change. ”So I think it is fair enough for them also to consider our request to have the match first before going into our final match of the round. But they did not even respond to us but instead wanted us to play Biko in the future. Normally, you play a rescheduled match before the final fixture,” Joof argued.
However, defending the decision to dismiss the Samger appeal for a replay, Buba ‘Star’ Janneh, spokesman for the GFF, said the appeal had been dismissed because the reasons given were not valid enough to warrant a replay of that match, though he said his committee needed to improve its method of communicating. “I have always advocated that we must adopt the written form of communication and at the level of the GFF we are trying to get that culture rooted firmly in our administration,” Star Janneh said. The decision now means that Steve Biko has been given three more points and two goals, greatly improving their standing in the table in this round where they struggled to put a up a credible title defence campaign.
Meanwhile the other appeal from the first division, Bakau United against Real de Banjul, has been referred to the appeals committee to hear from both sides.
Author: Lamin Cham
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