Former Hearts of Oak Chief Executive Officer, Harry Zakour, has debunked claims that players of the historic 2000 CAF Champions League winning team were not properly rewarded.
Speaking in an interview on Sporty FM, the former Hearts Chairman revealed that the club received $3 million after winning the Champions League and made sure the players got a significant share.
According to Zakour, each of the 18 players in the squad received $100,000.”It’s not true [that the players were not compensated for winning the trophy]. You can even invite Ato Ahwoi. We gave them $100,000 each,” Zakour told Sporty FM.
He explained that although Hearts qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup as African champions, they could not participate, but the financial reward was still huge.
“We couldn’t go to the Club World Cup but we got $3 million. Myself, Ato Ahwoi and Nii Ayi Bonte, may his soul rest in peace, shared the money and we gave each player $100,000.
“Harry Zakour stressed there was no discrimination and all 18 players were paid equally. He noted that $100,000 was a lot of money at the time and some players used it to buy properties.
During his six-year tenure from the late 90s to early 2000s, Zakour led Hearts to an unprecedented dominance in Ghana and Africa. The pinnacle was the historic 2000 season, when Hearts won a quadruple:
- Ghana Premier League
- Ghana FA Cup
- CAF Champions League
- CAF Super Cup
Under Zakour, Hearts of Oak was once ranked as the 8th best club in the world. He is affectionately called the “Millennium Chairman” for his personal financial sacrifices to keep the club running. He has openly said the club made him who he is today and its struggles give him sleepless nights.
His comments come amid long-standing claims from some members of that legendary squad that they were not adequately compensated after beating Tunisian giants Esperance to win Hearts’ first CAF Champions League title in 2000.
