Former Black Stars coach, Charles Kwabla Akonnor, has strongly refuted the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif's statement that he received $100,000 upon the termination of his contract.
C.K Akonnor in his rebuttal expressed his dismay over the inaccurate assertion made by the minister during a recent press briefing.
Contrary to the minister's claim, C.K Akonnor in a publication on Graphic.com.gh clarified that he was not paid the stated amount. Instead, upon the termination of his contract, he received payment in Ghanaian cedis, which he was then asked to convert to dollars using the Bank of Ghana rate.
However, the conversion rate at that time was considerably lower than the prevailing market rate, making it far from the $100,000 figure mentioned by the minister.
Asserting the accuracy of his statement, C.K Akonnor directed the minister's attention to the contract he had with the Ghana Football Association (GFA), which is still accessible at the FA. He urged the minister to review the contract to understand how the payment amount was determined accurately.
''My contract is still with the FA and if he likes he can go and check the agreement we had and see before making the claim and he will know that he is wrong,'' Akonnor stated.
In addition, C.K Akonnor contested the minister's claim that he was owed $200,000 in salary arrears, refuting the figure as inaccurate. He urged Mr Ussif to revisit the contract and acquaint himself with the correct outstanding amount owed to him.
Regarding the unsettled salary arrears, Minister Ussif admitted that both C.K Akonnor and Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac were still owed payments after their respective contracts were terminated in January 2022, following the Black Stars' disappointing performance in the Africa Cup of Nations.
The minister assured the media that once sufficient funds became available, the outstanding amounts owed to both coaches would be paid by the negotiated exit settlements. He clarified that both coaches had been paid $100,000 each immediately after the termination of their contracts, but the remaining amounts were yet to be disbursed due to financial constraints.
As the payment dispute continues, the spotlight remains on the Ghana Football Association and its handling of financial matters concerning coaching staff. Sports enthusiasts and stakeholders await further updates on the resolution of the payment issue, hoping for a swift and amicable resolution that respects the contractual agreements between the parties involved.
