The Ghana Football Association has opened disciplinary proceedings against Hearts of Oak assistant coach Abdulai Gazale following events that unfolded during Sunday’s Ghana Premier League encounter against Medeama SC at the TnA Stadium in Tarkwa.
In an official regulatory update released for the 2025/26 season, the GFA confirmed that Gazale has been charged under Article 12(1)(h) of the GFA Disciplinary Code, 2019. The charge stems from an alleged assault involving a ball retriever during the match.
Video footage of the incident, which has since circulated across social media platforms, shows the Hearts assistant coach pursuing a ball boy along the touchline. Post-match accounts indicate that the ball retriever admitted to deliberately kicking the ball away as Gazale attempted to retrieve it for play to continue. The same account alleges that the assistant coach slapped the ball boy, who then retaliated by striking Gazale, triggering the chase seen in the video.
Match officials acted swiftly on the day, with the referee showing Gazale Abdulai a red card and dismissing him from the technical area.
The incident overshadowed a tense contest on the pitch, where Hearts of Oak fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat. The result allowed Medeama SC to retain their place at the summit of the league standings, while the Phobians slipped to fifth position.
The GFA has granted Gazale until Thursday, January 8, 2026, to submit his response to the charge. Failure to do so will allow the Disciplinary Committee to proceed with the case based on the evidence available.
