SAD: Sports Ministry owes sacked CK Akonnor and his assistant $555,000 in unpaid wages

CK Akonnor and his assistant, David Duncan are owed an amount of $555,000, Citi Sports have reported.

Akonnor, 47, and his assistants were shown the exit on Monday after Ghana's shaky start to the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers.

After an emergency meeting held by the Executive Council of the GFA, it was announced the decision was taken following a review of the Black Stars performance in the first two games played.

The Black Stars recorded a slim win and defeat against Ethiopia and South Africa respectively. Ghana sit 3rd with three points.

The former Asante Kotoko trainer was appointed in January 2020, replacing Kwesi Appiah on a two-year deal and was on a $25,000 monthly salary.

The figure comprises $425,000 for 17 months of Akonnor’s $25,000 a month contract and $130,000 for 13 months of Duncan’s $10,000 a month deal.

It was reported that Akonnor was to be entitled to not less than a combined amount of $275,000 after his sack as head coach of the Ghana senior national team on Monday but it has emerged that the 47-year-old has not received as much as had been reported.

It has now been revealed that Akonnor received his pay only seven times during his stay in office as Black Stars coach.

While still unpaid after his contract took effect in February 2020, erstwhile Sports Minister Isaac Asiamah revealed in September that year that coach Akonnor had agreed to a salary slash due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy.

The 7 times Akonnor received his salary included a 52% pay-cut for two months due to COVID-19.

Things got so difficult that at a point the GFA lent Akonnor and his assistant Duncan a sum of $10,000 which was later paid back.

The former international endured the frustrations of a no-salary until 2021 when he started receiving some of the outstanding payments under new Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif.

CK Akonnor presently has outstanding salaries of 12 months he has worked for. He stands entitled to an additional 5 months representing the remainder of his contract. The two sum up to $425,000.

Aside from the amount owed him in salaries, Akonnor is reportedly entitled to a $50,000 compensation in the case of unjustifiable termination.

It has also been established that Akonnor’s first assistant, David Duncan received his monthly entitlement only 11 times during their 19-month spell. Like Akonnor, he also had five months left on his contract.

On his $10,000-a-month pay, coach Duncan is thus owed a total of $130,000.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Football Association has settled on re-appointing Milovan Rajevac as Akonnor's successor for the next two years.

The Serbian trainer will be tasked to secure a qualification with the Black Stars having missed out on the last edition held in Russia in 2018.

The Black Stars resume their qualification with a doubleheader against Zimbabwe next month.

NB: Additional information from Citi Sports