Nania F.C. (often known as ''Abedi Pele's Nania Accra F.C.'') is a
Ghanaian professional
football club
A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all- ...
based in
Legon,
Greater Accra
The Greater Accra Region has the smallest area of Ghana's 16 administrative regions, occupying a total land surface of 3,245 square kilometres. This is 1.4 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. It is the second most populated region, befor ...
. They are a currently competing in the
Division One League.
History
Match fixing Scandal
Maha Ayew, wife of
Abedi Pele, who is a
director and a
shareholder
A shareholder (in the United States often referred to as stockholder) of a corporation is an individual or legal entity (such as another corporation, a body politic, a trust or partnership) that is registered by the corporation as the legal own ...
of Nania FC sued the
Ghana Football Association as well as its
President,
Kwesi Nyantakyi
Kwesi Nyantakyi is a Ghanaian banker, lawyer and former football administrator. He was the president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) from 30 December 2005 until 7 June 2018. Nyantakyi officially resigned a day later. However, four hour ...
, the chairmen of the Disciplinary and Appeals Committee of the FA –
Amadu Tanko and
Justice Anim Yeboah respectively, asking the court to restrain the FA from rehearing the alleged match of convenience case between her club and
Okwawu United.
But the sitting judge in dismissing the suit explained that an application for judicial review cannot apply to the FA, stating that such applications are applicable to public bodies and not private bodies like FA.
Maha Ayew also by her status a director and shareholder of the club according to the judges decision could not have sued the FA because she did not have a real or substantial interest in Nania FC.
The ruling stated that the three persons –
Kwesi Nyantakyi
Kwesi Nyantakyi is a Ghanaian banker, lawyer and former football administrator. He was the president of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) from 30 December 2005 until 7 June 2018. Nyantakyi officially resigned a day later. However, four hour ...
,
Amadu Tanko and
Justice Anim Yeboah acted in their official capacity and that they couldn't have been sued in their private capacities.
A cost of 800 GH cedis each was awarded against
Maha Ayew for the three correspondents while a 1,000 GH cedi cost was slapped on Nania FC.
By the latest ruling, the Disciplinary Committee of the
Ghana Football Association would re-hear the case involving the demotion of Nania FC and
Okwawhu United.
The Appeals committee of the FA had set aside the ruling of the Disciplinary Committee banning the clubs for their roles in playing a match of convenience and directed the disciplinary body to re hear the matter. The club was banned for One-Year in October 2007.
Controversy
Abedi Pele Ayew, Ghana's Football Maestro has been banned from participation in active football for one year by the Disciplinary Committee of the
Ghana Football Association. The decision of the Committee follows the outcome of controversial
Poly Tank Division One League results in which Abedi's Nania FC beat
Okwahu United
Okwawu United is a Ghanaian professional football club based in Nkawkaw, Eastern Region. They are competing in the Eastern Region Division Two League. Their home stadium is Nkawkaw Stadium.
History
Like any human institution which does not do ...
31–0 while
Great Mariners
Great Mariners (previously known as ''Ghapoha'' or ''Ghapoha Readers'') is a Ghanaian professional football club based in Tema. They are a currently competing in the Ghana Football Leagues. In 1997, the team won the Ghanaian FA Cup.
History
I ...
also beat
Tudu Mighty Jets
Tudu Mighty Jets are a Ghanaian professional football club, based in Accra, Greater Accra. They are competing in the 2012–13 Poly Tank Division One League after being relegated at the end of the 2011–12 Glo Premier League season.
History ...
29–0 in what most soccer lovers have described in various derogatory terms. The four affected Clubs Nania FC,
Tudu Mighty Jets
Tudu Mighty Jets are a Ghanaian professional football club, based in Accra, Greater Accra. They are competing in the 2012–13 Poly Tank Division One League after being relegated at the end of the 2011–12 Glo Premier League season.
History ...
,
Okwahu United
Okwawu United is a Ghanaian professional football club based in Nkawkaw, Eastern Region. They are competing in the Eastern Region Division Two League. Their home stadium is Nkawkaw Stadium.
History
Like any human institution which does not do ...
and
Great Mariners
Great Mariners (previously known as ''Ghapoha'' or ''Ghapoha Readers'') is a Ghanaian professional football club based in Tema. They are a currently competing in the Ghana Football Leagues. In 1997, the team won the Ghanaian FA Cup.
History
I ...
have also been fined 50 million cedis each and have all been demoted to the Ghana
Division Three League. Information gathered by dellsports from the committee's sittings on Wednesday indicated that all the players and handlers of the affected Clubs have also been banned for a year.
It would be recalled that
Brong Ahafo United,
Advanced Stars,
Akwatia Diamond Stars
Akwatia is a town in Denkyembour, a district in the Eastern region of south Ghana and west of the Atewa Range in the Birim River basin. Akwatia has a 2013 settlement population of 23,766 people. Akwatia is the main center of diamond extractio ...
and
Great Corinthians
Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements
* Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size
* Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent
People
* List of people known as "the Great"
*Artel Great (born ...
and others in the 1970s were given various sanctions for involving in similar allegations of match fixing.
Director and Shareholder Maha Ayew was banned in October 2008 from Football.
FA Cup and Super Cup
Nania FC beat
Kumasi Asante Kotoko
Asante Kotoko Sporting Club, simply known as Asante Kotoko, is a professional football club founded on 31 August 1935 and based in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Nicknamed the ''Porcupine Warriors'', they compete in the Ghana Premier Le ...
in July 2011 to win the reintroduced
Ghanaian FA Cup and the club also went on to beat
Berekum Chelsea
Berekum United Football Club is a Ghanaian professional football club based in Berekum, Bono Region, previously known as Bechem Chelsea Football Club. They compete in the Ghanaian top-flight league called the First Capital Premier League.
Hist ...
to win the 2011
Ghana Super Cup. That feat won Abedi Pele the coach of the year and had his players winning most of the awards of the 2011
GFA awards in Ghana.
On 7 March 2012, CAF banned Nania for three years from international competition after their late withdrawal from the
2012 CAF Confederation Cup
The 2012 CAF Confederation Cup (also known as the 2012 Orange CAF Confederation Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 9th edition of the CAF Confederation Cup, Africa's secondary club football competition organized by the Confederation of African F ...
.
Grounds
Training Ground
Nania FC is located at the Legon University ground, the club trains near the Legon car maintenance which is adjacent to the rugby stadium, the field is known as Legon Maintenance Park Accra Ghana.
Honours
Domestic
*
FA Cup
**Winners (1): 2011
*
Ghana Super Cup
**Winners (1): 2011
International
*E. K. Nayanar Memorial Football Gold Cup
**Winners (1): 2007
Notable players
*
Andre Ayew
*
Jordan Ayew
Jordan Pierre Ayew (born 11 September 1991) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Crystal Palace and the Ghana national team.
He is the son of former Ghana captain Abedi Pele and brother of fellow players And ...
*
Ibrahim Ayew
Ibrahim Abdul Rahim Ayew (born 16 April 1988), also known as Ibrahim Ayew or Rahim Ayew, is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Gibraltar National League club Bruno's Magpies. He formerly played for the Gh ...
*
Ahmed Barusso
Ahmed Apimah Barusso (born 26 December 1984) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Italian club A.S.D. Terme Monticelli.
Club career
Barusso started off his European footballing career at Manfredonia, whe ...
*
Lee Addy
Lee Addy (born 26 September 1985) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a defender. He played for the Ghana national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Club career
Early career
Addy began his senior career in 2007 playing with Nan ...
*
Kwabena Agouda
Kwabena Agouda (born 25 April 1985 in Accra) is a Ghanaian professional football striker, currently playing for Hapoel Bnei Lod FC.
Career
Agouda also played for Nania F.C. (Ghana), where he scored 45 goals in 67 games, he arrived in Europe ...
*Collins Addo
*
Kennedy Asamoah
*
Addison Ayitey
*
Tekyie Mensah
*
Yaw Agyei
References
{{Reflist
Football clubs in Ghana
1998 establishments in Ghana
Association football clubs established in 1998
Football clubs in Accra