Kotoko need GH¢250,000 to extend contract of players

The Chairman of champion club Asante Kotoko’s failed Africa Cup Campaign’s Committee, Alhaji Abu Lamine has revealed that the club’s board, chaired by Lawyer Paul Adu-Gyamfi,  has been constantly notified of the need to raise money to fund the contract extension of about eight key players in the coach Mas-Ud Dramani-led side.

Kotoko have been put on high alert following attacker Yahaya Mohammed’s decision to sign a pre-contract with Libyan giants, Al-Ittihad, ahead of the expiration of his three-year deal in July due to the fact that the Porcupine Warriors allowed his contract to run into its final six months without an extension. Lamine says the club needs to sit up and ensure that all expiring contracts of players are attended to.

“The board has always been notified that there are about eight players whose contracts have to be worked on; we need to sit down and negotiate with them for extensions. The board is aware and it is an issue of financial problems in the club. We owe some of the players some amount of money [unpaid enticements] so in going to sit down with a player to negotiate for another contract, we have to clear all the arrears,” Alhaji Lamine said on Accra-based Power 103.5FM’s  Power Sports Update’ show.

Alhaji Lamine who once served on a previous board of the Porcupine Warriors, also revealed the current board has been served with a budget of GH¢250,000 - an amount expected to cater for the contract extensions of the eight players.

“The board is aware we have submitted a budget of GH¢250,000 to them. The board has arranged we meet after the Medeama game to find ways of raising money to extend the contracts of these players,” he revealed.