The matches are played before they are played. President John Mahama retorted, and the room filled with footballers and managers burst into laughter.

A penalty call by centre referee Nathan Anafo during the match between Aduana FC and Swedru All Blacks on Ghana Premier League (GPL) matchday 5 caused a huge uproar among football fans.

The penalty was eventually converted by Stephen Amankona to hand the Ogya Boys a 2-1 victory over their opponents from Swedru.

Incidents such as these have not only marred the GPL but also football in Ghana as a whole, casting negative optics on foreign audiences.

Referee Nathan Anafo’s gimmick last Sunday has proven true: President Mahama’s statement is that the referees are destroying the beautiful game in the country.

Retired referee and now instructor Thomas Nunoo revealed to Max FM on Tuesday morning that there will be a discussion among the instructors to ensure such incidents cease to occur.