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Hohoe United Football Club, one of the three promoted side in this season’s Ghana Premier League, last week announced their withdrawal from the remainder of the 2025/2026 competition, citing systemic unfairness and apparent bias within the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
In an official press statement, the club’s board described the decision as “painful but necessary,” pointing to repeated instances of procedural manipulation, questionable refereeing, and sanctions that they argue were timed to undermine the team’s competitive standing.
The club highlighted a series of incidents that triggered the withdrawal. On January 25, 2026, the newcomers faced Vision FC at Hohoe Sports Stadium. Three days later, the GFA Prosecutor issued a charge sheet against the club.
Hohoe United promptly submitted a “Not Guilty” plea and Statement of Defence on January 30 within the stipulated deadlines.
Further controversy followed on March 8, when the club defeated Medeama SC in Tarkwa despite a performance by centre referee Maxwell Hanson that the club deemed “questionable.”
The very next day, the GFA Disciplinary Committee imposed a three-home-game ban and a GH¢30,000 fine without holding a hearing, producing the original referee report, or providing a reasoned analysis.
This sanction was slated to affect the home match against Dreams FC on March 29—a fixture crucial to Hohoe United’s campaign.
The Volta Region side subsequently filed an appeal with the GFA Appeals Committee on March 10, following league regulations, but were later informed by the GFA General Secretary that the appeal “should have been sent to the Disciplinary Committee,” a directive the club says has no basis in the rules. Acting on this advice, HUFC refiled their appeal on March 24.
The club also reported troubling incidents during matches. On March 22, at an away fixture against Swedru All Blacks, Hohoe United fans were restricted to a single entrance and charged GH¢50 per ticket, while other fans paid GH¢20, contradicting pre-match announcements.
During the rescheduled match against Dreams FC at Nii Adjei Kraku Stadium in Tema, centre referee Mohammed Misbau and his officiating team allegedly delivered a performance that directly impacted the game’s outcome.
United argued that the timing of sanctions and venue changes appeared deliberately structured to strip the team of home advantage at a critical juncture of the season.
Throughout the season, Hohoe United maintains that it complied with all league regulations, filed documents on time, and conducted itself with professionalism. In return, the club says it faced “procedural lies, forced venue changes, questionable officiating and sanctions that appear timed to influence league standings.”
The management described the GFA system as “highly compromised,” structured in a way that allows control and bias rather than ensuring impartiality and transparency in football governance.
“Hohoe United FC has withdrawn from the current manipulated system of football with a principled stand against injustice,” the statement said. “It is not the end of the road, but just the beginning.”
The club thanked its players, technical staff, corporate sponsors, and supporters for their loyalty and pledged to continue fighting for fair play in Ghanaian football through lawful channels.
From the Hohoe United’s perspective, their withdrawal was forced by a combination of biased administration, questionable refereeing, and opaque disciplinary processes.
The club’s management places particular blame on the GFA Disciplinary Committee, the FA’s General Secretary, and specific refereeing decisions that, in their view, deliberately compromised the club’s home advantage and league position.
