Jones to Sue Ghana FA for US$80,000

Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, coach of Ghana national soccer team the Black Stars, is challenging his sacking by the country's Football Association (GFA), and demanding the payment of 80,000 US dollars within two weeks.

The legal threat is contained in a letter to the GFA by Solomon and Associates, Attuquayefio's lawyers, and copied to the Vice President.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of African League Champions, Accra Hearts of Oak, was also sent a copy of the letter.

The coach claims his termination is wrongful and wants to be paid his 5,000-dollar monthly salary for four months.

He is also demanding the payment of his signing on fee of 30,000 dollars and a six-month salary compensation for wrongful termination of appointment.

The GFA sacked Attuquayefio by a letter dated 10 April and signed by Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, the acting FA Chairman, citing alleged poor results and double employment as the reasons.

Attuquayefio, who has been combining his Black Stars' job with that of Hearts, however, insists that he was not obliged by the conditions of employment to relinquish his position with Hearts for the national team's responsibility.

He explained that before his movement, a series of meetings was held between the GFA and the Hearts Management.

Attuquayefio said that having agreed to the Hearts terms, it would be unfair for the GFA to now claim double employment, as the reason for sacking him.

He also defended Black Stars' results under him. Attuquayefio was appointed the national team's head coach 3 January, after leading Hearts to win the African Champions League in December last year.

Under him, the Stars played five matches losing the first three to DR Congo (2-1), Liberia (3-1) and Sudan (1-0). It later recorded 0-0 draw with the Super Eagles of Nigeria and beat DR Congo (3-1).

After the three losses, the coach declined to invite foreign based professionals, relying on home boys, mainly Hearts players.