The Ghana Football Association has called on the South African Football Association to ‘responsibly’ accept defeat as Sunday’s result was not the first time Ghana beat Bafana Bafana and it certainly won’t be the last time in a media statement on Thursday, 18 November 2021.

The Ghanaian Football governing body’s response comes after SAFA protested the Bafana Bafana-Ghana world cup qualifier match outcome to FIFA citing ‘match manipulation’.

GFA has said that it considers SAFA’s allegations shocking, irresponsible and outright disrespectful as they feel the South African football governing body has chosen to spread lies to the media rather than project the real picture of events before, during and after Sunday’s game.

The Association refuted claims that Bafana Bafana took nine (9) hours to travel from Accra to the Cape Coast after they arrived in Ghana and also that during the match the South African team were intimidated, molested and robbed at the Cape Coast.

“The truth is that the distance from Accra to Cape Coast is only 79 miles (127 km). Unfortunately for our colleagues, Cape Coast is a tourist’s city and many people across the world have been to Cape Coast and would be shocked to hear such a blatant lie from no less a Football Association than the SAFA,” the GFA said.

“The total driving time is just over two (2) hours and not 7 or 9 hours. Kindly note that the South African Team was led to Cape Coast by police escort and motorcade. In fact, the South African team got to Cape Coast before the Black Stars got to Cape Coast. We urge every South African and all well meaning football followers to Google the distance from Accra to Cape Coast. Thus, the SAFA started creating a foundation for a mountain of lies even before the game day itself,” the GFA added.

They further questioned why SAFA didn’t report to FIFA if the South African National team did indeed travel nine hours to get to the venue as the FIFA regulations do not allow any team to travel on road for six hours or more within a country.

The GFA further stated that SAFA’s allegations are frivolous, baseless and lack merit and should be treated with all the contempt that they deserve. “These allegations from South Africa Football Association are nothing but a planned scheme and a calculated attempt to shift focus from the defeat, divert attention from their failure to qualify for the playoffs and unjustly dent the hard earned victory of the Black stars,” added the Ghana Football Association.

The Ghanian football governing body (GFA) reiterated that they are a globally accepted brand that would not indulge in any act to bring the game into disrepute and they believe the Black Stars (Ghana) played well and won on merit without any form of support from the officiating officials.

GFA also confirmed that they have received correspondence from FIFA and would respond appropriately within the ambit of the FIFA regulations.