Hearts of Oak reveals paying $25,000 to sign Coach Samuel Boadu from Medeama SC
Accra Hearts Of Oak have revealed they coughed out a whopping $25,000 to Medeama SC for the release of Samuel Boadu who was named head coach for the Accra giants after the departure of Kosta Papić.
Coach Boadu and his assistant, Hamza Obeng, have recently been at the heart of a controversy where Medeama are demanding a total sum of GH¢387,000 as compensation from the duo for “unilateral breach of contract” after they quit their jobs for the vacant positions at Hearts.
According to Medeama, Boadu parted ways with the club two months into a new two-year contract for the vacant Hearts post vacated last February by Serbian coach Kosta Papic.
Last week, Medeama petitioned the FA demanding total compensation of GH¢320,000 from Coach Boadu for breach of contract, and a total of GH¢67,000 from Obeng based on the residual values of the remaining months on their contracts.
However, a high-placed source at Hearts told the Graphic Sports that even though Coach Boadu had been dragged to the Ghana Football Association Status Committee, the Phobians were not worried because they had committed no wrong in signing the coach.
According to the source, Hearts could not be dragged into the controversy because the club secured the release of the ex-Medeama gaffer under the right circumstances and paid the appropriate compensation and, therefore, they could not be held responsible for any alleged breach of contract.
The source admitted that Coach Boadu was made to resign from his position at Medeama and Hearts undertook thorough investigation before prising him away.
“The coach (Boadu) resigned from the club (Medeama) formally and we had an obligation to the club (Medeama) vis-à-vis some amount of money, which we have paid. After paying the money, we went through all the procedural things that had to be done with the GFA and he was duly registered as our coach,” explained the Hearts source.
Hearts maintain they secured the coach’s signature under the right circumstance, but were unaware if there existed a personal arrangement between the coach and the Medeama owner.
“If he has an obligation to the owner of the club, we don’t know about that, but as it stands all that he has to do before his release has been done,” the source noted.
Per the information available to the Graphic Sports, Medeama are demanding compensation of GH¢220,000 and a further GH¢100,000 in damages.
Medeama are praying the FA’s Status Committee to order Coach Obeng, who was on a GH¢2,500 a month contract at Medeama, to cough up GH¢17,500 for the remaining seven months on his contract, plus an additional GH¢50,000 in damages.
