Ghana Premier League (GPL) side Elmina Sharks has lost an appeal it filed against former player Benjamin Tweneboah, relating to the player’s decision to go for a floating status which made him a free agent before his move to Aduana Stars.
In a released letter of its verdict dated February 3, 2022, the Appeals Committee of the Ghana Football Association ruled that the player in question, Benjamin Tweneboah, who played for the Sharks for six seasons between the seasons 2015 and 2021, left Elmina Sharks with just cause, and is “entitled the payment of all outstanding salaries as ordered by the Player Status Committee”.
For the records, Benjamin left Elmina Sharks in February 2021 after refusing to sign contract extension with the club after his contract with the club had expired. His refusal to sign a new contract with Sharks was based on claims of non-payment of his salary for three months. He subsequently filed an application at the Player Status Committee, the body responsible for players’ welfare and contractual issues between players and their clubs, seeking for payment of his outstanding signing on fees and other unpaid salaries.
The Player Status Committee ruled in favour of Benjamin, and Elmina Sharks, who felt unfairly treated, filed an appeal at the Appeals Committee of the Ghana Football Association, but have now lost the appeal after the Committee found “no merit in the appeal”.
“This is an appeal by Elmina Sharks football club against the decision of the Player Status Committee relating to an application by the football player Benjamin Tweneboah acting per his lawful Representative Yusif Alhassan Chibsah. We have reviewed the appeal record as well as the submissions by both parties and find no merit in the appeal”, the letter of the Committee’s verdict read, as published by the GFA.
The ruling added, that the player is entitled to all his signing on fees as well as all outstanding salaries, and has given Elmina Sharks a 7-day ultimatum within which it must pay all monies due the player.
“The player is entitled to his outstanding signing on fee in its entirety and he is also entitled to the payment of all outstanding salaries as ordered by the Player Status Committee. Elmina Football Club is hereby ordered to comply with the decision of the Player Status Committee within seven (7) days upon the publication of this decision”, the Appeals Committee ruled.
The Elmina based club has also been slapped with damages of Two thousand Ghana Cedis to be paid to Benjamin Tweneboah.
Find below the letter of the Appeal’s Committee’s ruling:
