Sports News of Saturday, 2 May 2020

Source: footballghana.com

Black Stars coach CK Akonnor pockets $50,000 as signing on fee - Report

Black Stars coach, CK Akonnor Black Stars coach, CK Akonnor

New coach of the Black Stars, CK Akonnor will pocket $50,000 as signing on fee, Footballghana.com can exclusively confirm.

Akonnor, 45, who was drafted to into the national team in October last year as an assistant ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Sao Tome and South Africa has been named as the coach of the senior national team earlier this year after the Ghana Football Association (GFA) failed to renew the contract of Kwesi Appiah.

After three months of taking up the job, Akonnor signed a two-year deal and submitted the document to his employer, the Ghana FA after weeks of anxiety.

Akonnor, among other benefits, will be entitled to a $25,000 monthly salary, $50,000 signing-on fee, free accommodation and an official vehicle.

Though Akonnor had expected to receive the same $35,000 salary and a signing-on fee of $200,000 as his predecessor, the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) and the headline sponsor of the Black Stars, Ghana National Petroleum Company, believed that the two coaches did not have the same pedigree to command the same fees.

Akonnor was expected to be in the dugout for the first time against Sudan in the Afcon qualifiers but the match has been postponed due to the outbreak of coronavirus.

The former Asante Kotoko and Dreams FC boss has been tasked by the Ghana FA to end the country's 38 years trophyless jinx in 2021 in Cameroon.

And after failing to qualify for teh last edition of the FIFA World Cup, the country's football governing body has charged the gaffer to qualify the country for the Mundial that will be hosted in Qatar in 2022.