Controversial football transfers in Ghana

Hearts of Oak on Monday announced that they had completed the signing of Malik Akowuah from Medeama.

However, in a space of few hours, the Tarkwa based side released a statement to deny reaching any agreement with the Phobians for the signature of the player and further threatened to report the matter to FIFA.

Two player were forcefully transferred to Real Republicans by Ohene Djan

In 1961 Ohene Djan, the director of Sports at the time was instructed by the President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah to form a model club called Real Republicans. Ohene Djan, who was the chairman of the Ghana Amateur Football Association (GAFA) cum the Minister in charge of Sports, used his powers to transfer the two finest players from clubs like Hearts of Oak, Kotoko, Olympics, Hasaacas, Eleven Wise, Corners, etc, while other clubs had just one player transferred.

Kotoko saw Baba Yara (winger) and Dogo Moro (defender) transferred, whereas Addo Odametey (defender) and Ofei Dodoo (winger) transferred from Hearts of Oak. Other clubs too suffered similar fate, but Kotoko hesitated and as their punishment they were suspended from playing their games in Kumasi in the first half of the 1961-62 season. In order to ensure the people of Kumasi continue to enjoy football, another club was formed named Kumasi United to play their matches at the Kumasi Sports Stadium. It was in the second round that Kotoko were readmitted to the Kumasi Sports Stadium.

Modibo Toe (Hasaacas to Real Republicans)

Toe was a Liberian striker, who made the headlines in Ghana football for both the right and wrong reasons. In the 1963-64 season Ohene Djan transferred Modibo Toe from Hasaacas to Real Republicans and after the ‘Giants of the West’ resisted, the club were suspended from the league that season and in their place Ghana Independence was formed in order not to deny the football loving people of Sekondi access to top-flight football.

Robert Hammond (Hearts to Olympics)

He switched camp from Accra Hearts of Oak to Accra Great Olympics in the 1970’s. The rivalry between these two Accra based clubs was fierce and Hearts of Oak who were the more successful side in terms of trophies saw it as a big blow for losing that battle. Olympics secured the signature of Hammond by enticing him with $1000 dollars and a refrigerator, so he was nicknamed ‘Robert Expensive’ Hammond.

Naana Eshun (Kotoko to Hearts)

In the early 1990’s Hearts of Oak completed the signing of a Kotoko top-notch defender, Naana Eshun. It was reported that Azumah Nelson who is a staunch Hearts of Oak fan paid the GHC 600,000 enticement fee to help the Phobians beat their archrivals to the deal.

Stephen Oduro (Battle between Goldfields now AshGold and Kotoko)

The mercurial midfielder was close to joining Goldfields in 2000 from RTU after the Miners had paid a fee of 80 million old Ghana cedis to the 'Pride of the North'. However, Kotoko later showed up and persuaded the player to accept their offer. In the end Kotoko gazumped Goldfields and the Obuasi giants had be refunded their money.

Charles Taylor (Heats of Oak to Kotoko)

This is perhaps the most controversial sports transfer in Ghana history in recent years. The former Olympics player was the most creative midfielder and virtually the best player on the domestic scene at the time. Asante Kotoko, who had not won the domestic league since the 1992-93 season were hungry for success and under an enterprising management committee chairman, Sylevestre Asare Owusu, they were bent on rewriting history by bringing on board quality players who could turn the fortunes of the club, so they went in for Charles Taylor against the wishes of Accra Hearts of Oak, who were owing his right.

Asante Kotoko signed the player with the knowledge that his current contract had run out with the Phobians, but unknowingly Hearts of Oak had persuaded Charles Taylor to extend his contract and had even paid him GHC 50 million of GHC 100 million enticement fee.

Hearts of Oak reported the matter to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the association setup a five-member committee which had the GFA chairman at the time, Ben Kouffie, Kwesi Nyantakti, the current GFA boss among others.

After several sittings and fact finding It ruled in favour Hearts of Oak, after they had sought interpretation of the matter from FIFA. Kotoko were found guilty of wrongfully signing Charles Taylor and were asked to pay GHC 400 million for that and in addition paid GHC 850 million to Hearts of Oak as the transfer fee. It shot the figures to GHC 1,250 billion old Ghana cedis which stood for several years as a Ghanaian football transfer record fee domestically. However, there are reports that Hearts of Oak refunded the GHC 400 million fees which was paid by Kotoko as a punishment for wrong doing with regards to Charles Taylor’s transfer. The player had his own share of the punishment, because he was suspended for a month.

But Kotoko faithful, would be grateful, since he helped them to end their league trophy drought by dethroning Hearts of Oak, who had won the Ghana Premier League for six consecutive seasons.

Alex Asamoah (AshGold to Kotoko)

Ghana Football Association withheld the registration of Alex Asamoah by Kumasi Asante Kotoko following protests raised by his former club Obuasi Ashantigold FC (Ashgold).

Also, indicates that Ashantigold wrote to the GFA on Wednesday, November 19, protesting the validity of Asamoah's release on the grounds that Kotoko had reneged on the terms of the transfer agreement signed between the two Clubs. The letter quoted Article 33 of the GFA regulations, which bars clubs from inducing players and players from accepting such inducement or approaches when their contract is not less than six months from expiry.

According to sections of the contract agreement between the two clubs, Kotoko conceded that they had breached the rules on player acquisition by signing an employment contract with Asamoah whilst he still has a valid contract with Ashantigold. It added that Kotoko also agreed to play two friendly matches with Ashantigold with proceeds to be shared between the two Clubs.

Kotoko was to release two players - Kwame Obeng Darko and David Sarkodie on free transfer as part of the transfer agreement. Obeng-Darko was however said to have rejected the move, thereby complicating the transfer saga.

The deal was dragged for some time before the clubs agreed on a fee which was reported to be more than 1 billion old Ghana Cedis.

Kofi Abanga (A tussle between Hearts and Kotoko)

Kofi Abanga hit the news as the most exciting division one player in 2007 and became the most sought for player in the 2007-08 Ghana Premier League. Both Kotoko and Hearts of Oak wanted to secure him from Aduana Stars who were at the time playing in division one. The CEO of Aduana Stars Kingsley Osei Bonsu a.k.a Lord Zico completed a deal with Kotoko, but the owner of the club Nana Agyemang Badu overturned that decision and reached an agreement with Hearts of Oak for Kofi Abanga’s signature. The relationship between the CEO and the owner of the club went beyond repairs, so the former’s appointment was terminated.

Ahmed Toure (Free transfer- Battle between Hearts of Oak and Kotoko)

The Ivorian international who failed to see out his contract in his two previous terms at Kotoko was in the news to have signed a deal with Hearts of Oak in the 2014-15 pre-season.

The Phobians used him for the GHALCA top-4 and he made the news for scoring on his debut for the Phobians against Heart of Lions.

But Asante Kotoko surfaced and beat Accra Hearts of Oak who had not completed the paper work before using the Ivorian for the top-4 tournament to his signature.

The news really broke the hearts of the Hearts of Oak faithful, who witnessed their idol club lose out on a quality player to no other side than their bitterest rivals.