Former Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah claims he has been disrespected by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) as he cranks up his bid to recover his unpaid salaries plus winning bonuses from the body.
Appiah lost his job as Black Stars coach after the GFA decided not to renew his contract, bringing an end to a second two-year stint with the team.
And it seems the dust from that divorce is yet to settle. Appiah says he is owed five months of salary and outstanding bonuses totalling around $180,000 and wants the body to settle it as soon possible.
Appiah’s determination to get his due seems to have been occasioned by reports that the GFA is due to take delivery of $500,000 in emergency funds from FIFA for the running of the association.
Despite the fact that Appiah has traditionally been paid from the Ministry of Youth and Sports through the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, he seems convinced monies paid the GFA through FIFA is his best bet to recover his unpaid salary.
“I decided to keep quiet on my salaries’ issues all these while but I think if you are working with someone and you are no more, the best way is to give the person whatever he deserves and there will be peace,” he is quoted as saying by Accra-based Starr FM.
“The question is how do I feed my family meanwhile I quite remember when they took over Dr. Kofi Amoah gave them $1,000,000 dollars and I even understand there is also some $500,000 from FIFA or whatever, the bottom line is you should look at the essential ones and try and sort it out.
“But it looks like they don’t care. This is money I have worked for and they are not telling me anything which I feel it doesn’t show sign of respect. So I have told my lawyers to deal with it.”
The GFA’s document on the legacy debt they inherited from the Normalisation Committee of the Ghana Football Association says Appiah is owed $180,000. The breakdown says that includes his four-month salary of $35,000-a-month that worked up to $140,000 and two match bonuses totalling $40,000 from two games against South Africa in Cape Coast and Sao Tome away from home.
Despite leading the Black Stars to their worst Africa Cup of Nations showing since 2008, he was convinced he deserved a new contract and the ongoing battle over the outstanding entitlements is the latest battle grounds over that.
Appiah became Ghana boss for a second stint after the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations and headed into the 2019 tournament with a contractual mandate to win the tournament.
The Black Stars exited the tournament at the second round stage despite enhanced financial emonulments including doubled-up winning bonus before the new GFA under Kurt Okraku decided they wanted a new direction with another former Black Stars captain, C.K Akonnor, in charge.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana