Coach Kwasi Appiah threatens legal action against GFA over unpaid salary arrears
A former coach of the Black Stars, James Kwasi Appiah, is in a war of words with the management of the Ghana Football Association, threatening to go to court over unpaid salary arrears.
The 59-year old claims the FA owes her a five-month salary arrears– $185, 000 and a winning bonus– but the association is directing him to the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the funds.
Appiah instructed his lawyers to serve the GFA with a demand notice, giving them seven days to make payment.
The coach, who earned $ 35,000 per month salary as the Black Stars manager, wants $ 175,000 (from August to December) paid as salary arrears in addition to a $10,000- winning bonus.
Appiah, whose recent stint with the senior national team spans 2017 to 2019, is disgusted about the FA’s reluctance to pay the debt it owes him.
“I did not sign any contract with the government or the ministries, I signed [the contract] with the Football Association.
“I know the government supports the FA in payments of players’ bonuses and travel funds, but I am not supposed to be chasing the Ministry of [Youth and ] Sports because I do not have a contract with them but the FA.
“Wherever the FA can get the money to pay me, let them do that. I know they have some monies in their accounts from last year up till now. I feel the debts should be settled,” he said.
However, the GFA’s Head of Communications, Henry Asante Twum, insists it is the government that owes the former Black Stars coach and not the football association.
“The GFA does not pay the coach. It’s the state that pays the coach. The GFA is the employer of the head coach of the national team, but his salary is paid by the state. He wrote to the GFA and we forwarded his letter to the [sports] ministry.
“It is the ministry that must pay him, not the GFA. Kwasi Appiah has been in and out of the Black Stars for so many years and he knows that it is not the FA that pays him.
“It’s very strange to read what is going around because it’s not the FA that pays the head coach of Black Stars, it is the Government of Ghana. That has been the constitution. The Government owes him,” he said.
Appiah coached the Black Stars from 2012 to 2014, leading the country to the 2014 World Cup, which the country exited in the first round, after a poor showing fuelled by grumbling over unpaid allowances.
He eventually resigned.
His second spell was from 2017 to 2019 when in December, last year the GFA opted not to renew his contract because of Ghana’s disappointing round of 16 exit at the 2019 AFCON.