GFA reports Togo FA to FIFA

After several unsuccessful attempts at making the Togolese Football Association honour an agreement it entered with Obuasi Goldfields Sporting Club, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has finally drawn the attention of FIFA to the lackadaisical behaviour of the Togolese soccer authorities.

The Togolese were supposed to have paid an appearance fee of one million six hundred thousand CFA to Goldfields as fulfillment of their part of the contract they signed with the miners early this year.

The two clubs in January this year, entered into a two-leg international friendly match agreement. According to a Goldfields letter to the GFA dated June 26, 2001 and signed by Kwasi Owoahene Acheampong the club's Accra representative, the agreement stipulated that the parties were to pay each other an appearance fee, provide accommodation and feeding for 18 players and five officials.

Goldfields, accordingly, honoured their part of the agreement when the Togolese national football team played the miners in Obuasi last January, but the Togolese federation violated part one of the agreement and refused to pay the appearance fee when Goldfields honoured the return leg in Lome on March 4, 2001.

Every possible approach was made to the Togolese Football Federation to see reason and fully redeem their part of the agreement but Goldfields efforts fell on rocks. The miners even alleged that Mr Kobla Poku, a former employee of the club who was tasked to chase the money was detained by the Togolese security.