Exclusive: Anger at Hearts, as GFA slit the throat of the Phobians with a “Murderous” ruling in favour of Gladson Awako

The Board and Management of Accra Hearts of Oak are seething with anger and shock after the Player Status Committee of the Ghana Football Association threw away the defence of the club in their case against their player and former captain Gladson Awako.

Information gathered by ghanasportspage.com from the corridors of Hearts indicates the club is not happy about the ruling by the FA Committee, which was released today and signed by the chairman of the PSC Is-Hak AlHassan and General Secretary Prosper Harrison Addo.

The Club is accusing the Committee of turning a blind eye to the position of Hearts and wholeheartedly siding with Awako, thereby punishing the Club with a payment of One Hundred and Twenty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS120,000). Management is said to be contemplating filing for an appeal to re-hear the case as they disagree on points of law and facts.

Verdict

Accra Hearts of Oak midfielder Gladson Awako, represented by the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana(PFAG) won his case against Hearts at the Ghana Football Association’s Player Status Committee, after the club forcibly pushed to terminate his contract, earlier stopping him from training with the club.

Ghanasportspage.com also understands that the Status Committee found Hearts of Oak guilty of breaching their contract with the player and has therefore declared Awako as a free player who can join another club of his choice.

It was the case of Hearts of Oak at the Status Committee that Gladson Awako had lost form, had become injury prone and was always serving the national team where he sustained most of the injuries, instead of playing for Hearts.

But Awako resisted the moves and assisted by the PFAG tried to settle the issues amicably, but Hearts would have none of it and wanted to force their way through, even stopping the player from training and refusing to pay his salaries.

The Status Committee Ruling took an exception to that, insisting the Petitioner Gladson Awako rather saw reason to negotiate but Hearts, who initiated the termination process, were uncompromising and tried to bamboozle their way through.

Instead of paying what was due the player, Hearts kept insisting they would pay only Three (3) Months severance packages for the player, which Awako rejected, with the PSC siding with him.

Awako had also pleaded with the Committee to make Hearts pay Five(5) percent interest on the amount being asked for, and also fine Hearts not less than Five Thousand Ghana Cedis to serve as a deterrent not to maltreat players again.

Background

Awako summoned the club to the Player Status Committee over a breach of contract. He was axed from the squad without mutual agreement and has not received salaries due to him within the period that he has seemingly been dismissed.

The player accused the team of breaching the contract “without just cause” and requested to be cleared to join any club of his choice as a free agent.

Awako agreed on a GHC 13,000 salary, which takes his total earnings at the end of the contract to GHC 143,000. The former Great Olympics captain joined Hearts of Oak in 2021, where he signed a two-year deal.

After a decent first year, he renewed his contract and extended his stay by a year, but injuries and coaches’ preference coupled with reported club politics forced him out of the squad.