Asante Kotoko assures payment of FIFA fine before deadline, seeks financial support from fans

Ghana’s premier league giants, Kumasi Asante Kotoko, has extended a call to its supporters and to come to their aid in paying a FIFA fine imposed on the club for player transfer breaches.

The porcupine warriors have till May 10  to pay a $240,000 fine imposed on the club following transfer breaches against Tunisian club Esperance Sportive de Tunis.

The Deputy Greater Accra rep, Nana Kwame Dankwah, made this call to the fans of the club during an interview with Accra based Asempa FM.

“Yes, we have received the FIFA notice, and we have to act on it,” management member of Asante Kotoko, Nana Kwame Dankwah.

“I believe that as a Kotoko family which entails management and the supporters, we need to make sure that we support our leader Kwame Kyei, so that we can find a solution to this problem.

“Let’s come together so that we find solutions on how are we going to pay this money.” He said.

Calling on fans of the club to emulate their gesture when they were fined €99,000 by FIFA for wrongful dismissal of one of their former coaches Dieter Schmidt. Dankwah said:

“Its happened before, during Herbert Mensah’s time when Kotoko wrongfully dismissed Hans Dieter Schmidt, we were slapped with a huge fine,” he said.

“Dr Sarpong was able to do an appeal for funds to raise money which was eventually topped up by management to clear the debt.

“So I will urge all of us to come together to help clear this current debt.

Meanwhile, the current management led by the club’s Executive Chairman, Dr Kwame Kyei, has assured payment of the fine before the stated deadline to avoid being relegated from the premier league.

Why Kotoko is paying US$ 240,000?

The Porcupine Warriors were initially fined US$ 180,000 for the 2015 illegal transfer of striker Emmanuel Clottey, who at the time of transfer had a contract running with Tunisian side Esperance.

But the Ghanaian giants deferred in payment and the amount accrued an interest of US$ 45,000 and an extra US$ 15,000 to the committee which ruled on the matter.

Kotoko, on the other hand, is expected to receive full payment of Kwame Bonsu’s US$ 150,000 transfer fee to Esperance, which payment was put on hold by Esperance due to Kotoko unwilling to pay the earlier imposed fine.