Former Accra Hearts of Oak captain Yaw Amankwah Mireku has rejected Harry Zakour’s claim that every member of the club’s 2000 CAF Champions League-winning squad received a $100,000 bonus.
Zakour, a former chairman of Hearts of Oak, made the claim in an interview with Sporty FM, saying each player was paid the amount after the Ghanaian club secured the continental title.
Mireku, who captained the side, strongly disputed Zakour’s account and said the players did not receive anything close to that figure.
“It’s a stupid and senseless statement from Harry Zakour. There is no truth in what he said. We didn’t even receive one-tenth of that money after winning the CAF Champions League in 2000,” Mireku said in an interview with Connect 97.1FM.
The former Hearts captain said the bonus promised to the players was $25,000 each, rather than the $100,000 claimed by Zakour. He added that the promised payment had never been made.
“Even the $25,000 promised us has not been paid, not to talk of the $100,000 he is claiming.
“This will put unnecessary pressure on us because those willing to help you will even put a stop because you have been paid $100,000, which is not true. He should just come out and apologize,” he added.
Mireku’s comments directly challenge the version of events offered by Zakour, who was involved with Hearts of Oak during the period of the club’s most significant continental success.
Hearts of Oak won the 2000 CAF Champions League after defeating Esperance 5-2 on aggregate in the final. The achievement remains one of the defining moments in the club’s history.
The dispute centres on the financial reward received by the players after that triumph, with Mireku insisting that the squad was still owed the $25,000 it had been promised.
He also warned that Zakour’s claim could create difficulties for former players by giving the impression that they had already received substantial financial compensation.
According to Mireku, that perception could discourage people prepared to support the players, because they might assume the squad had already been paid.
He therefore called on Zakour to withdraw the claim and apologise for what he described as inaccurate and damaging comments.
The former captain’s response leaves the accounts of the 2000 CAF Champions League bonuses sharply divided, with Zakour maintaining that each player received $100,000 while Mireku says the figure is untrue and that even the lower promised amount remains unpaid.
By Francis Hema
