Kotoko set to retrieve $324,000 from unpaid transfer fees

Premier League champions Asante Kotoko are set to retrieve unpaid transfer sums from the sale of three of their former players following a FIFA directive.

The club’s out-going International Relations Manager Kwame Baah Nuako told Kumasi-based Metro FM that the club stands to retrieve over $324,000 from clubs which had failed to promptly settle debts owed the club for signing its players.

After being fed up with delayed payment of transfer fees for Nathaniel Asamoah, Alex Asamoah and former captain Jordan Opoku, the club through their solicitors, Minkah-Premo & Co, officially wrote to FIFA to claim their due fees from the three clubs.

On January 29, 2012, Asante Kotoko transferred striker Nathaniel Asamoah to Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade in a 200,000 euro ($264,000) deal for four years. After several appeals over the course of over 18 months, FIFA has ordered the Belgrade club to settle the 200,000 euros fee with a 5% interest from the original due date.

In a similar scenario, Algerian club ES Setif have also suffered a same fate as FIFA has ordered them to pay up the $40,000 balance from the purchase of striker Alex Asamoah from Asante Kotoko in August 2011. They are also liable to a 5% interest from the date of default. The transfer amount involved in Alex Asamoah’s case amounted to $80,000.

In 2011, former club captain Jordan Opoku, in the final year of his contract with Kotoko was loaned out to Albanian side Klubi Sportiv Dinamo Tirana for four months. Kotoko were due $20,000 which has not been settled till date. Dinamo Tirana has also been ordered to defray the debt with an additional 5% interest from the date of default.

FIFA has advised Asante Kotoko to serve the various clubs with letters through the Ghana Football Association and the affected clubs are to settle their defaults within 30 days or risk severe FIFA sanctions.