Grant pockets cedis after all
Head coach of the Black Stars, Avram Grant, has finally accepted payment of his winning bonus in the match between the Black Stars and Mozambique in the local currency after earlier rejecting it.
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The Israeli trainer reportedly returned to the Ministry of Youth and Sports a cheque for payment of his winning bonus for Ghana’s 3-1 victory over Mozambique in a Nations Cup qualifier on the grounds that he did not operate a cedi account and demanded payment in dollars.
However, the coach made a u-turn on his decision last Tuesday after meeting the Minister of Youth and Sports in the company of FA officials after which he reportedly apologised for his action and promised not to repeat it.
“Last Thursday I had a meeting with the GFA and Grant came to formally apologise for what happened and will fully accepted the cheque and promised never to let that happen again,” the Minister of Youth and Sports, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, told the Graphic Sports last Wendesday.
He explained that once Grant’s contract did not state that winning bonus should be paid in foreign currency, he [Nii Lante] was not going to encourage that, having convinced the Black Stars players to accept payment of winning bonuses in cedis.
“I don’t have a problem with his salary but I have a problem with the bonus because that is what we (government) are paying to him so we have decided the sort of currency we have to pay and he has accepted it,” he said.
The minister added that as far as he was concerned, it was unacceptable for anyone working within the shores of this country to be paid in foreign currency because the legal tender in Ghana was the cedi and payment to services rendered in the country must be in the local currency irrespective of the stature of the individual.
“In Ghana we transact business in cedis so I don’t believe anybody should be paid in dollars,” observed Mr Vanderpuye, who indicated that such payment methods should be the standard not only for the current coach but also for any other coach who takes up the national team job in future.
