Ghana 2014 World Cup coach, Kwesi Appiah has threatened to report Ghana to FIFA over unpaid salary if he’s accumulated salary arrear is not paid soon.
Coach Appiah has said he is being treated in a way no white coach in Africa would be as he awaits salary arrears totalling nearly $200,000 from his time in charge of the Black Stars.
Appiah’s second spell in charge of Ghana, which started in April 2017, ended at the turn of the year.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports says it will pay the money “soon”, blaming the delay on the coronavirus pandemic.
“I was owed money since August 2019 when there was no Covid-19,” Appiah told BBC Sport Africa. “Would they owe a white coach for 11 months?”
The 59-year-old, who has previously said he feels ‘disrespected’ by the way his case is being handled, says he is owed $185,000, most of which covers five months’ unpaid salary.
“(My predecessor) Avram Grant was not owed more than a month when his contract ended,” Appiah explained.
The reason the Israeli, who led the Black Stars between 2014-2017, was not paid at that time was because he had yet to file a report on the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations on time, but his arrears were swiftly settled once he did.
Appiah’s outstanding payment of $185,000 equates to five times his monthly salary of $35,000 in addition to a $10,000 bonus for beating Sao Tome prior to his contract expiring in December 2019.
Kofi Asare Brako, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Youth and Sports, has blamed the failure to pay the outstanding salary on the coronavirus pandemic causing a financial constraint on the ministry.
“The salary of the head coach of the Black stars has always been paid through a sponsorship package, and it is unfortunate this has now dragged into the period of the coronavirus pandemic,” Kofi Asare said.
“We have paid him for the two-year contract period of 24 months. What is left is the extended contract period of eight months, of which we have already paid three months.”
“We are still in touch with the former coach and in no time we will pay him. Soon, all money will be paid to Appiah.”
“I gave the GFA a three-month deadline (earlier this year) but neither the GFA nor the Sports ministry have met with me,” Appiah said.
Brako has refuted Appiah’s claims.
“I can say categorically that the chief accountant of the Ministry of Youth and Sports has been in constant communication with Appiah,” Brako added.
“We are still in talks with him. If we have to structure a payment plan, we will do that but if he insists we have to pay all at once we have no choice but to do it.”
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has not given an exact timeframe as to when Appiah’s salary will be paid but Brako assures it will paid ‘soon’.
Appiah’s contract was not renewed following his team’s disappointing outing at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations where the Black Stars exited in the round of 16.
DiscernSport