The Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Henry Asante-Twum, has revealed that the GFA was required to pay over $100,000 in compensation to Milovan Rajevac, the former coach of the Black Stars, after his dismissal. This payment was part of the financial settlement following Rajevac’s departure from the team. The figure highlights the cost of terminating his contract, which was part of the arrangement after he was let go from his position as head coach of the national team. The Serbian tactician Milovan Rajevac was dismissed after Ghana’s disappointing performance at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon. Following his sacking, the Sports Ministry instructed the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to restructure the Black Stars’ Management Committee.
In an interview on Game Plan on Joy FM on Friday, 29 November 2024, Henry Asante-Twum, the GFA Communications Director, explained the financial challenges the GFA faced in settling Rajevac’s outstanding arrears. Asante-Twum mentioned that once Rajevac was fired, he quickly sought redress through FIFA, which complicated the process further.
The situation was made more difficult by Rajevac’s urgent move to FIFA, highlighting the pressure the GFA was under to address the contractual and financial obligations following his dismissal.
Henry Asante-Twum revealed that FIFA ruled in favor of Milovan Rajevac, forcing the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to pay over $100,000, specifically about $117,000 in compensation. Despite several attempts to seek financial assistance, the Ministry of Sports was not forthcoming, leaving the GFA to settle the amount on its own.
This situation has made the GFA cautious in its approach to the future of Otto Addo, the current head coach of the Black Stars, especially after the team’s failed qualification for the AFCON 2024. Addo recently submitted a detailed performance report to the GFA Executive Council (ExCo) on Wednesday, 27 November. The meeting, which lasted over four hours, allowed the ExCo members to scrutinize Addo’s tactical decisions and overall management of the team, further intensifying discussions about his future as coach.
Henry Asante-Twum shared that Otto Addo presented a comprehensive 56-page report covering key details such as player call-ups, tactics, and the outcomes of all six qualifying games for AFCON 2024. After the presentation, each member of the GFA Executive Council (ExCo) had the opportunity to ask questions regarding the team’s performance.
However, despite the detailed report, discussions on Otto Addo’s future as head coach of the Black Stars remain unresolved. There was a stalemate among the council members, leading to the decision for the Sports Ministry to intervene in the matter.
Ghana’s failure to qualify for AFCON 2024 marks a significant disappointment for the Black Stars, who placed last in Group F with only three points, missing out on the continental tournament for the first time in 21 years. This poor performance, combined with the GFA’s financial struggles in compensating fired coaches like Milovan Rajevac, has led to calls for structural reforms within the national football team’s management.
