Former Hearts of Oak chief executive officer Harry Zakour says every member of the club’s 18-man squad received $100,000 after their 2000 CAF Champions League triumph, rejecting claims that the players were inadequately rewarded.
Some members of the historic Hearts of Oak team have previously said they were not properly compensated for helping the Accra-based club secure its first continental title.
Zakour has strongly disputed those allegations, saying the players benefited substantially from the money generated by the victory.
Speaking to Sporty FM, he said Hearts of Oak received $3m after winning the competition. According to Zakour, the funds were distributed among senior officials and the players involved in the successful campaign.
“It’s not true [that the players were not compensated for winning the trophy]. You can even invite that to our Ato Ahwoi. We gave them $100,000 each,” Zakour said.
He insisted that all 18 players received the same payment and that there was no discrimination in the way the money was shared.
“We couldn’t go to the Club World Cup, but we got $3 million. Myself, Ato and Nii Ayi Bonte shared the money, and we gave each player $100,000,” he added.
Hearts of Oak had qualified for the FIFA Club World Championship as African champions but, according to Zakour, did not ultimately take part in the tournament. Despite that, he said the financial reward from their continental success remained significant.
Zakour also argued that the payment represented a considerable amount at the time, with some members of the squad using their earnings to invest in property.
“You know that time, what is $100,000? It was a lot of money those days. Some of them bought properties,” he said.
Hearts of Oak defeated Tunisian giants Esperance in the 2000 final to claim the CAF Champions League for the first time. The achievement made them the first Ghanaian club to win the competition in its modern format.
The Phobians added another continental honour the following year by defeating Zamalek in the 2001 CAF Super Cup.
Their African success continued in 2005, when they won the CAF Confederation Cup. That triumph further established Hearts of Oak as one of Ghana’s most successful clubs in continental football.
Zakour’s comments directly address the continuing debate over how the 2000 Champions League winners were rewarded. His account is that the club received $3m, shared the money among key officials, and paid each of the 18 players $100,000 after the historic victory.
