The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has hit back at its South African counterparts, SAFA, accusing them of lying to their fans and FIFA.

Bafana Bafana lost 1-0 to the Black Stars on Sunday to bow out of the World Cup Qualifiers, but the Southern Africans were not happy with how Senegalese referee Ndiaye Maguette handled the match and the reception they got from their hosts.

SAFA then made an official complaint to FIFA, claiming that its national team was mistreated during their stay in Ghana.

The FA also urged the world football body to investigate a possible manipulation of the game.

In response, the GFA says the accusations are baseless, and it’s a plot to shift focus from their elimination.

“We wish to state categorically that the allegations are frivolous, baseless and lacks merits and should be treated with all the contempt that it deserves,” GFA said in a statement.

“These allegations from South Africa Football Association are nothing but a planned scheme and a calculated attempt to shift focus from the defeat, divert attention from their failure to qualify for the play-offs and unjustly dent the hard-earned victory of the Black Stars.”

The GFA added: “The Black Stars is a globally accepted brand that would not indulge in any action to bring the game into disrepute.

“Ghana has been to three FIFA World Cup Tournaments and remains the only African country in history to win the FIFA World Youth Championships in 2009. We worked very hard for the victory against South Africa.

“The Black Stars played well and won on merit without any form of support from the officiating officials.”