GFA FINE AGAINST “I BELONG TO JESUS” TEE SHIRT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, UNJUSTIFIABLE AND DANGEROUS TO PUBLIC FREEDOM
“We paid the fine to protect the player, but we must not be silent while freedom of faith is quietly criminalised.”
We, Advocates for Christ Ghana, are deeply troubled by the Ghana Football Association’s (GFA) decision to fine footballer Emmanuel Annor for displaying a shirt that read “I BELONG TO JESUS” in celebration after scoring a goal during a professional league match.
Though the fine has been paid by us in the interest of protecting the career and wellbeing of the player, we wish to make it abundantly clear that this fine was paid under protest, and in no way represents acquiescence or consent to the principle behind it.
The action of the GFA offends the spirit and clear guarantees of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, and it sets a worrying precedent for religious freedom, particularly Christian expression, in Ghana’s public and professional spaces.
1. The GFA’s decision is legally indefensible.
The GFA is a governmental regulatory body, yes – but it is subject to the national legal framework within which it operates.
The 1992 Constitution is the supreme law of Ghana (Article 1(2)), and any conduct or regulation that is inconsistent with it is null and void to the extent of that inconsistency.
By punishing a player for a spontaneous, non-disruptive, and non-offensive display of personal Christian conviction, the GFA has contravened Article 21(1)(c) of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion, including the right to manifest and express one’s religious belief.
Annor’s message “I BELONG TO JESUS” is not a political slogan, nor was it directed at any individual or institution. It did not insult, defame, or incite.
It was simply a public acknowledgment of personal faith. For this, to suffer a penalty is not only legally troubling but faith chilling.
2. This sets a dangerous precedent for public religious expression.
The Constitution exists to safeguard not only private beliefs but the freedom to publicly express those beliefs in a peaceful and dignified manner.
If displaying the name of Jesus Christ,the foundation of faith for millions of Ghanaians, can now attract sanctions, then we have crossed into a space where religious identity is being policed by institutional overreach in a nation having over 70% of its population being Christian.
Today, it’s a scripture on a football pitch. Tomorrow, could it be a gospel song in a classroom? A Christian pin on a blazer? A cross necklace in a courtroom?
We must ask ourselves: what kind of public space are we building in Ghana if joyful expressions of faith are treated as offences?
This fine will set a precedent where institutions now believe it acceptable to punish religious expression under the guise of neutrality, professionalism, or regulation. But true constitutional democracy does not demand the erasure of religion from the public eye.
It demands mutual respect, freedom, and the right to be unapologetically who we are, Christian, Voodoo, African Traditional Religion, or otherwise,in every space we inhabit.
3. International rules cannot override public constitutional guarantees.
It is often argued that football regulations such as those derived from FIFA or applied by the GFA prohibit “political, religious, or personal statements” on undershirts. But Ghana is not governed by FIFA’s statutes.
Ghana is governed by her Constitution.
And while international associations may regulate conduct for the sake of uniformity or discipline, they must always defer to the national law of sovereign countries in matters of fundamental rights.
An international association operating within Ghana cannot suspend the rights of Ghanaians to publicly honour their God, especially when that expression is constitutional, peaceful and joyful.
4. We paid the fine, but we are not silent.
The decision to pay the fine was not an endorsement of the GFA’s ruling.
It was an act of protective prudence,one taken so the player would not suffer further harm, disqualification, or stigma. But payment is not agreement.
We remain concerned that this episode reflects a creeping hostility to visible Christian faith in public life.
And so we issue this statement not out of defiance, but out of duty to the Constitution, to the conscience of this nation, and to the Church. Our hope is not to escalate conflict, but to urge reflection and recalibration within our institutions.
5. We call for clarity, humility, and constitutional integrity.
We respectfully call on the Ghana Football Association and other public-facing institutions to review and revise the application of any rules or policies that risk infringing upon protected constitutional freedoms.
We also invite Christians across the nation, and all citizens of conscience, to remain alert and engaged. The silence of one moment can become the suppression of many later.
Let this not be the beginning of a trend where Christians in Ghana must conceal their faith to remain “professional.” Faith is not a threat to public order. It is the soul of our people.
Let Ghana remain free
In the words of our national anthem, we pray God will indeed “help us to resist oppressors’ rule, with all our will and might forevermore.” Today, that resistance is not with fists, but with firm truth, legal clarity, and moral courage.
We therefore restate our position: the GFA’s decision was unconstitutional, unjustifiable, and unwise. It must not be repeated, and it must not undermine the spirit of sportsmanship.
ABOUT ADVOCATES FOR CHRIST GHANA – A4CG
Advocate for Christ Ghana is a growing movement of professionals, parents, pastors and of all Christians, seeking to provide a permanent and proactive voice on national issues in Ghana.
We have a membership of over three hundred and fifty people (350) currently spread across Africa, Australia, Europe and the United States of America.
