Soccer News of Friday, 31 August 2007

Source: Ibrahim Sannie

Prince Tagoe vows to clear name with Fifa

Ghana under-23 striker Prince Tagoe has vowed to clear his name with Fifa over an alleged illegal transfer to Saudi side Al Ittifaq.

Division One side Maamobi-Midtjylland revealed on Thursday that they have reported striker to Fifa claiming he was their player when he sealed the free transfer move last year.

Maamobi-Midtjylland claim they loaned the 20-year-old to Saudi side Al Ittihad after the 2006 African Cup of Nations in Egypt.

The Maamobi-based side said they expected Tagoe to revert to the club at the end of the loan deal in September last year but he opted to sign for Al Ittifaq without the knowledge of his club.

But Tagoe’s local manager Benedick Yao ‘Bishop’ Lodonu insists the striker had no contract with his former club when the deal with the Saudi side was sealed.

“We are keen to meet Fifa to sort this issue out once and for all,” Lodonu said.

“There was no contract Maamobi-Midtjylland between Prince Tagoe when the contract was signed.

“We have all the documents to clear us before Fifa so the player is no worried at all about the latest development on this issue.

“But he is indeed worried that the relationship between him and his former club has come to this.”

The rift between Tagoe and his former has been masked for the past nine months.

But the issue came to light on Thursday when the family of the late club president rejected a US$1,000 donation sent by Tagoe as his contribution towards the funeral of Alhaji Bimbo, who passed away last week.

Lodonu says the striker is worried that Bimbo’s family rejected his contribution towards the funeral.

“Prince was dejected when Alhaji Bimbo’s family announced that they will reject the donation,” Lodonu added.

“Despite this misunderstanding or a snub as some might call it, Prince will still reach out to the family of Alhaji Bimbo.

“Even though the relationship between the club and the player was strained, he thinks he had a good relationship with Alhaji Bimbo and still considers him as his father.”