By Ameenu Shardow
Asante Kotoko have denied making a $25,000 payment to former coach Hans Dieter Shmidt as widely speculated in the local media.
The Kumasi-based club is to pay the German a whooping 99,000 Euros for his wrongful dismissal in 2005 within 30-days or risk getting relegated to to Ghanaââ¬â¢s third tier league.
It has been reported that the Premier League leaders have made a down payment of $25,000 to the 64-year-old but the clubââ¬â¢s Public and Supporter Relations Manager Listowell Yesu Bukarson says it is pure speculation which should be dismissed.
ââ¬ÅNo payment has hit Mr. Schmidtââ¬â¢s accounts yet, and management would like to appeal to the media to eschew the sense of speculations on this sensitive issue that has the potential of compounding the situation at hand,â⬠he told GHANAsoccernet.com.
Bukarson however confirmed the club is making pragmatic provisions for the said amount to be paid from its quota of the leagueââ¬â¢s sponsorship package from telecommunications giant, Globacom Ghana as it continues with its massive fund raising projects to pay off debts.
ââ¬ÅKotoko have written to the GFA to set aside $25,000 from it share of $52,000 Glo sponsorship towards settling the Shmidt-Fifa judgement debts.
ââ¬ÅManagement is desperately maximizing all possible fund raising avenue available to the club to make up the required amount to offset the debts within time.ââ¬
The club have thus activated it special mobile shortcode ââ¬Ë1935ââ¬â¢ to support the fund raising project.
Fans and other potential contributors are required to text ââ¬ËKotokoââ¬â¢ to the short code only reserved for MTN users to donate one Ghana cedis per message.