Former Premier League club King Faisal FC have had their hopes of making a quick return to the elite division hit with a major blow after losing their case at the disciplinary committee on Thursday.

The team have been declared culpable by the Ghana FA disciplinary committee after failing to provide security for their league opener against Mysterious Ebusua Dwarfs on February 22 at the Baba Yara Stadium.

The home team were unable to provide adequate security personnel for the meeting between the two former GPL sides as they met in their first match post-relegation.

King Faisal were not able to provide the minimum number of ten security personnel for the game and could only muster four according to the report of class one referee Wilson Asante Krobea and Match Commissioner R.S Addae on the day.

The match officials’ reports indicated that they gave the home side further minutes to find the required staff, but they could not and had to call off the game at exactly 15:41 GMT.

King Faisal were awarded a defeat in that match, have been docked three points and received a fine.

The full details of the Ghana FA disciplinary committee statement have been included, in full, below.

In its Statement of Defence filed on February 27, 2015, the Respondent contended that the Protest against it was without merit and ought to be dismissed as the club did not violate Articles 10(1) and 10(2) of the Division One League Special Regulations of the Ghana

Football Association. However, The Disciplinary committee made the following findings after the statements from the petitioners and the respondents:

1. that the Respondent stated at the Pre-match Technical Meeting that it shall provide a minimum of ten (10) uniformed Police personnel to offer adequate security for the match which was agreed to by all present.

2. that as at the time the two teams were ready to march to the field of play, there was not a single police personnel present at the stadium.

3. that at kick off time, the match officials refused to commence the match without police presence.

4. that upon the refusal to commence the match without the security personnel, at about 3:09pm, the Respondent provided two (2) uniformed police officers.

5. that at 3:30pm two more police officers arrived at the match venue, leaving the number at four police personnel.

6. that there was no further addition to the number of police officers at the match venue, prompting the match official to call off the match at 3:41pm.

The Committee, therefore, makes the following decisions:

1. That for failing to provide adequate security for the match and thus, positioning itself in such a way to render the progress of the match impossible, King Faisal FC shall forfeit the match in accordance with Article 34(1) of the General Regulations of the GFA.

2. That having been found to have forfeited the match, King Faisal FC shall be considered as having lost the match in accordance with Article 34(12) and accordingly, three (3) points and three (3) goals are hereby awarded in favour of Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs SC in accordance with Articles 34(2) and 34(10) of the General Regulation of the GFA.

3. That in addition, being the defaulting club, King Faisal FC shall lose three (3) points from the club’s accumulated points from previous matches pursuant to Article 34(5)(a) of the General Regulations of the GFA (note that this Article does not deduct any goals from the accumulated goals of the defaulting club).

4. That in addition, being the defaulting club, King Faisal FC is hereby fined Two Thousand Five Hundred Ghana Cedis (GH¢2,500.00) payable to the GFA, 50% of which shall be paid to Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs pursuant to Article 34(5)(a) of the General Regulations of the GFA.

5. That in addition, being the home club, King Faisal FC is hereby ordered to pay an amount of Five Hundred Ghana Cedis (GH¢500.00) as the transportation expenses of the away team, Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs SC payable to the GFA which shall be paid to Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs pursuant to Article 34(5) (a) of the General Regulations of the GFA.

6. That the fine mentioned in Decision 4 and 5 above, shall be paid to the GFA within fourteen (14) days upon receipt of this Ruling, failing which King Faisal FC shall automatically forfeit all subsequent matches after the said deadline in accordance with Article 39(8)(b) of the First Amendment to the GFA General Regulations.

7. That should any party be dissatisfied with or aggrieved by this Decision, the party has within three (3) days of being notified of this Ruling to appeal to the Appeals Committee of the Ghana Football Association. (See Article 37(11) of the General Regulations of the GFA). Ebusua Dwarfs, having won all their matches will have twelve points and stretch their lead in Zone Two to four points ahead of second place Dunkwa United while King Faisal drops six places to 12th position on the log with four points, one point above safety.