The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is facing the possibility of legal action from two former coaches of the Black Stars, the senior men’s national football team, over a payment dispute that arose after their dismissal from their coaching positions.
During a press briefing in Accra, Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, disclosed that Charles Akonnor and Milovan Rajevac, the coaches in question, are owed salaries from their terminated contracts, as per the negotiated exit agreements. Akonnor was sacked in September 2021, with four months remaining on his $25,000 monthly contract.
Similarly, Rajevac, who had signed a one-year deal, was appointed on a $30,000 per month contract in the same month but was subsequently dismissed in January 2022, leaving eight months of his contract unpaid. Following their dismissals, both coaches received $100,000 each as part of the separate termination negotiations.
The Minister acknowledged that the Ministry of Youth and Sports has been facing financial challenges, which have led to delays in adhering to the agreed payment schedule for the outstanding salaries owed to both coaches. Consequently, the former coaches have threatened to take legal action against the GFA to claim their unpaid earnings.
According to the original contractual agreements between the coaches and the GFA, both Akonnor and Rajevac are entitled to receive their full salaries, as they were dismissed before their contracts expired.
Mr. Ussif addressed the issue, stating, “Once the contracts of Milovan and CK (Akonnor) were terminated, we negotiated their exits and they were both paid $100,000 each after the negotiations. We still owe both of them, but we have a payment schedule which I admit we have been unable to follow because of constraints of funds”
“However, as and when we secure funds, we will be paying the two coaches. They have both written to the GFA threatening to go to court, but we have appealed to them that we are committed to ensuring that we settle whatever we have agreed with them.”
