Five months with no pay: Yahaya, Nuru terminate Al Ittihad contracts

Ghana duo, Yahaya Mohammed and Nuru Sulley, have terminated their contracts with Libyan side Al Ittihad Tripoli.

The players are back in Accra after going five months without salary – coupled with that, is the lack of competitive action due to the suspension of the Libyan league, per their narration.

Yahaya signed for the side during his last days at Asante Kotoko on a pre-contract early last year but officially joined the club late October and persuaded former Hearts of Oak defender Nuru Sulley to the club.

Ittihad Tripoli invested in the duo to help them go far in their Caf Confederation Cup but they were eliminated by Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas in the first round.

Yahaya has narrated their ordeal in an interview with Happy FM in Accra. He claims they decided to mutually part ways after things became evidently clear that the club who had pitched camp in Tunisia for several months to keep their form were unable to fund their salaries due them.

“Everything was fine at the beginning but due to the political unrest in Libya, the club moved camp to Tunisia. That is where we have been and playing friendlies all this while.

“It got to a point where we had to start complaining about salary delays. They paid us then went dead again for about four months.

“It got to the fifth month when we were to host ASEC in Tunisia so we [Yahaya and Nuru] and one Nigerian player [Tony Okpotu] told them we were boycotting the game because five months is too much. We have families and other responsibilities to cater for,” the 26-year-old said.

“They begged us but we refused and the club went on to lose and got eliminated from the Confederation Cup.

“At this time, there is nothing to stay and play for. Nuru and I then resolved to stay back and ensure terminating our contracts because there is no league.

“We decided not to drag the club to Fifa over our unpaid salaries and outstanding enticements because it will take time. The Nigerian player once took them to Fifa, the process took too much time and he had no choice than to return to play for them.

“We needed to take the risk of terminating the contracts and move on quickly with our careers than chase the money since we believe in our abilities. It was the better option for us,” he ended.

Yahaya and Nuru were integral members of the Ghana side that were losing finalists at the 2014 Chan hosted by South Africa.

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