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25.02.2005 Confederation Cup

Hearts Wait On CAF As Player Agitation Over Unpaid Bonuses Grows

25.02.2005 LISTEN
By jfm

Accra Hearts of Oak are still waiting for their 300,000-dollar prize money from the Confederation of African Football, two months after winning the inaugural CAF Confederations Cup.

The Phobians beat archrivals Asante Kotoko to the trophy and prize money but that triumph has ironically created a feeling of unease between the club's management and players.

There is growing agitation amongst the playing body over the non-payment of their 50,000-dollar bonus for winning the Confederations Cup.

The club's vice chairman in charge of finance, Clement Dodoo confirmed to Joy Sports that the club had not paid the players the promised bonus but he said it wasn't the making of management.

The current situation bears striking semblance to the aftermath of Hearts' famous champions league win of 2000.

While Hearts' reputation grew then, disputes over winning bonus threatened to disintegrate the team.

The club currently owes captain Amankwah Mireku in the region of seventy million cedis and the player was on a plane last Tuesday to Turkey without permission from management.

In a related development, Hearts will put eleven players on the transfer list in a bid to cut down their wage bill and squad size and make room for new recruits.

Joy Sports Sources within the club are quiet on the identity of the players involved even though it is expected that a few big names will be affected.

The Phobians face their first real test of the new season next Sunday as they seek to make the league stages of the CAF champions' league for the first time in five years.

They will travel to Nigeria to play Dolphins in the second qualifying stage of the competition.

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