Brandon Thomas-Asante: Why Black Stars Striker Was Banned by the English FA
- Black Stars striker Brandon Thomas-Asante has been handed a suspension by the English FA following a misconduct charge on January 26
- The decision comes barely three matches after his return from an injury layoff that had kept him out of action since November 2025
- Thomas-Asante has enjoyed an impressive resurgence this season, netting 10 goals and registering four assists in 20 appearances
Brandon Thomas-Asante will sit out the next three matches after falling foul of English football authorities, dealing Coventry City a blow at a delicate stage of the campaign.
The striker’s ban follows an incident during the Championship clash with Norwich City, a contest the Sky Blues lost 2-1.
Source: Getty Images
The moment in question came in the 34th minute. Thomas-Asante, who described his maiden Ghana call-up as "really exciting", was accused of swinging an arm into the face of Norwich midfielder Pelle Mattsson.
Match officials did not spot the flashpoint as it happened. Play moved on, and Coventry later edged in front through Romain Esse, yet the episode did not disappear.
Below is the incident:
Video footage brought the situation back into focus. A review was launched, and the case quickly gathered pace behind the scenes.
Soon after, the Football Association confirmed its decision and outlined the punishment handed to the forward.
Why English FA ban Thomas-Asante
The governing body explained the outcome in a formal statement via Coventry's website.
"Brandon Thomas-Asante has been suspended for three matches following Coventry City’s EFL Championship match against Norwich City on Monday, 26 January.
"The player’s behaviour around the 34th minute wasn’t seen by the match officials at the time, but it was captured on video, and The FA alleged it constituted violent conduct.
"Brandon Thomas-Asante subsequently admitted the charge against him and accepted the standard penalty for violent conduct."
The ban means Thomas-Asante will miss meetings with Queens Park Rangers, Oxford United and a heavyweight showdown with Middlesbrough.
Source: Getty Images
How Thomas-Asante's ban affects Coventry
For Thomas-Asante, who propelled the Sky Blues to a historic 61-year record, the ruling interrupts a season that had been building nicely.
The English-born attacker has registered 14 goal contributions in 20 outings for Coventry this term, scoring 10 times and setting up four more, according to Transfermarkt.
Those numbers underline his importance in the final third. His absence now creates a selection headache for manager Frank Lampard.
The Sky Blues have won only two of six fixtures across all competitions since the turn of the year.
The setback against Norwich trimmed their cushion at the top of the table, leaving little room for further slips.
Below are the current standings after 29 games:
Coventry sit on 58 points from 29 matches, just three ahead of Middlesbrough. Ipswich, Hull City, Millwall and Derby are also close enough to pounce if results go against the leaders.
Every round now carries weight in the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Lampard must find solutions quickly to keep his side steady. Despite a run of six games without a goal, the former West Brom man remains joint top scorer at the club and a central figure in their hopes of finishing the job.
Lampard lauds Thomas-Asante
YEN.com.gh previously reported that Brandon Thomas-Asante received high praise from Frank Lampard after scoring the winning goal against Watford.
The coach was full of admiration for the British-born Ghanaian striker, who had ended a run of more than 15 games without a goal.
Source: YEN.com.gh
