Soccer Player Who Scored Own Goals to Spoil ‘Rigged Game’ Charged with Match-Fixing

Posted on: September 27, 2021, 02:48h. 

Last updated on: September 28, 2021, 05:44h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
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A Ghanaian soccer player who was hailed as a hero in July for taking a unilateral stand against match-fixing has now been charged with match-fixing.

Hashmin Musah
Inter Allies defender Hashmin Musah, pictured, faces a life ban from soccer following a Ghana Football Association investigation. (Image: Ghana Sports Online)

Inter Allies’ defender Hashmin Musah scored two deliberate own goals during his team’s 7-0 drubbing by Ashanti Gold in Ghana’s top-tier soccer league.

Video footage from the bizarre match went viral and was reported by media across the globe, while Musah was lauded for apparently disrupting an alleged plot to rig the game.

With 12 minutes left to play and the score at 5-0 to Ashanti Gold, Musah scored twice in his own net in the space of four minutes.

Lame Duck

Post-match, he claimed his actions had foiled a conspiracy among players in both teams who had pre-arranged the scoreline at 5-1 for the benefit of a shadowy gambling syndicate.

It was the final game of the season – a lame duck that was ripe for the fix because the result would not significantly alter the finishing positions of the teams. Inter Allies was bottom of the league and had already been relegated. Ashanti Gold was second but mathematically could not catch leader Accra Hearts of Oak.

I heard it in our hotel that a bet had been made for a correct scoreline of 5 goals to 1 against my club Inter Allies,” the player told Ghanaian media. “I decided to spoil that bet because I don’t condone betting.

“After the game, my technical team commended me for spoiling the bet they had staked,” he claimed. “I promised my coach that if he allows me to play from the bench, I will spoil the bet. And after the game, my team congratulated me.”

His team later officially condemned his actions.

Eighteen Players Charged

But now Musah faces a potential life ban from the sport. He is one of 18 players and six officials across both teams to be charged with a variety of offenses. That’s following an investigation by the Ghana Football Association (GFA). Charges include match-fixing and bringing the game into disrepute.

Also in hot water are Inter Allies’ head coach and president of Ashanti Gold, Kwaku Frimpong.

Frimpong told BBC Sport Africa he believes the blame lies with the rogue Allies defender rather than his team, adding that crazy scorelines were not unusual for Ashanti Gold.

We have not done anything bad because we always beat people 4-0, 5-0 or 5-4,” he explained. “We beat them five and their defender scored two himself. I think they have to put the blame on the guy who scored himself, because it’s unprecedented.

“So why do we have to blame Ashanti Gold? This is jealousy and they just want to destroy my name. I have not talked to any president or any club. We have done nothing.”

A 2018 documentary by the journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas revealed widespread corruption in Ghanaian soccer. Anas implicated an extraordinary 77 Ghanaian referees and 14 GFA officials in various acts of corruption, leading to widespread dismissals.