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| Abedi to face Court over Player Transfer |
2/22/2007 |
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Three-time African footballer of the year and founder of Division One League side F/C Nania, Abedi Ayew Pele, may be forced to march to the court rooms to face justice unless he coughs out over $63,000 to Owerriman Football Club, a second division side.
Abedi, who also captained Ghana’s senior national team, the Black Stars for over a decade, is being challenged by the founder and owner of second division side, Nana Batafo Akyeampong Nti II over the transfer of player Kwabena Ayamba to Swiss side Saint Gallen F/C.
Narrating his side of the story to Guide Sports last week from his Konongo based, Nana Batafo Akyeampong Nti II, who also happens to be the Konongo-hene claims the former Black Stars skipper has since 2004 refused to pay him his 25% share of $300,000, being the transfer fee of player Kwabena Ayambah. According to Nana Batafo, on October 20th 2002, he freely transferred the said player, a striker together with two others from his second division side Owerriman Football Club to F/C Nania, which is owned by the former Marseille player also a second division side by then.
He said, in the agreement, it was made clear to both parties that should F/C Nania secure another club for the player, be it local or foreign, Owerriman will be entitled to 25% which both parties agreed to, with Prince Owusu, head coach of Nania signing for the club whiles Nana Batafo did same for his club and was witnessed by one Samuel Dwumah on the 20th of October 2002.
Nana explained further that about two years after the player’s transfer to Nania, he was informed by Abedi Pele during one of his visits to Accra that he has successfully secured a foreign club for the player in Switzerland.
It was however after consistent phone calls and severe pressure on Abedi regarding Owerriman’s share of the player’s transfer fee that the soccer maestro gave Nana an amount of $10,500, but never mentioned to him the exact transfer fee involved and told him he will pay him a visit at Konongo for issues to be discussed.
He also added that Abedi claimed he spent $18,500 as expenses to enable the player join the Swiss side. But however gave the breakdown as, $3,000, for airfare, $10.000, being the agent’s fee with $4,000, going to some four coaches.
All over this period from 2005 to 2006, Nana claims Abedi never disclosed the transfer fee to him let alone produce document regarding the transfer despite his consistent request for photocopies the documents since he is entitled to 25% of the transfer fee.
However, Nana, together officials of Owerriman Football Club, visited the website of Saint Gallen F/C only to have the shock of their lives that the said player was transferred by F/C Nania for $300,000 with his name also changed from Kwabena Ayambah to Kwabena Agouda, something which they later got to know was masterminded by Abedi Ayew Pele, who was recently awarded by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), refused to pay.
According to Nana, his decision to turn to the law court for the remaining of his 25% is as a result of Abedi refusal to give to Owerriman F/C what is due them despite several petitions to the Ghana Football Association and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports.
“I have on many occasions tried that both parties settle this issue amicably due to the respect that I have for the former African star, but it seems Abedi wants to play the fast one on me. Not even letters to the GFA and the deputy Sports Minister, Hon. O.B Amoah, has moved him to come over settlement†he said.
However, all efforts by this paper to reach Abedi Pele for his side of the story since last week have proved unsuccessful.
Agouda, whose contract with Saint Gallen expires after this soccer season, also featured for Ghana at the 2003 All-African Games in Abuja, Nigeria, after featuring for Owerriman for six seasons where he played alongside Italy based Black Stars midfielder Sulley Ali Muntari
Source:
Rexford Tetteh
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