MTN FA Cup finalists AshGold will not be able to represent Ghana in next season’s CAF Confederation Cup campaign even if they beat Accra Hearts of Oak on Sunday, the Ghana FA has explained.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has formally written to AshantiGold SC notifying them of their inability to compete in the 2021/22 CAF Inter Club competitions – CAF Confederation Cup.

This follows a late request from AshgantiGold for an extraordinary application to enable them acquire the required license to participate in the 2021/22 CAF Confederation Cup.

The GFA had further correspondence with CAF on the subject and below are the key points in their reply.

• The deadline for GFA to submit the club licensing decisions and documents of the clubs for the CAF IC 21/22 was 15 July 2021.
• CAF informed the Federations that the 15 July 2021 deadline date was non-negotiable and non-extendable by any means.
• CAF informed the Federations that they should submit by 15 July 2021, all club licensing decisions and documents of all the clubs standing a chance to qualify to CAF Interclub competitions based on sporting merit, regardless of the status of completion of the domestic league or national cup competition 

Unfortunately, we regret to inform that at this point of time, by force of the CAF Circular no club licensing decision may be accepted, consequently Ashantigold SC will not be able to take part in the CAF IC 21/22 season.

Consequently, Accra Hearts of Oak SC, Medeama SC and Asante Kotoko SC being the three clubs in the CAF list of LICENSED CLUBS are the only eligible clubs which can play in Africa in the 2021/22 season.

Now, with Accra Hearts of Oak SC opting to play in the CAF Champions League as the winners of the Ghana Premier League, only Medeama SC or Asante Kotoko SC may play in the CAF Confederation Cup for Ghana and should both clubs decide not to play in Africa, no club from Ghana would represent us in the competition.

AshGold are billed to lock horns with Hearts of Oak at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday in the finals of the MTN FA Cup in a game that promises to be cagey.

The Miners, at this point, can only beat the Phobians for pride and the reward package at stake but not to represent the country in the CAF Confederation Cup on the ticket of winning the FA Cup.