$100,000 Each: How Hearts of Oak rewarded their 2000 CAF CL winning team
Former Hearts of Oak Chief Executive Officer Harry Zakour has revealed that all 18 players in the club’s 2000 CAF Champions League-winning squad received $100,000 each for their historic triumph.
Zakour made the revelation on Sporty FM while responding to the host’s question about reports that some members of the legendary squad claimed they received nothing after winning the continental title.
He strongly refuted those claims, insisting that every player received the money.
“We gave each Hearts of Oak player $100,000 for winning the CAF Champions League in 2000. All 18 players received the money,” Zakour said.
He challenged any player who disputes his account to come forward, explaining that the payments came from about $3 million in proceeds generated from the club’s Champions League success.
Zakour also stressed how significant $100,000 was at the time, saying the amount was huge by the standards of the year 2000.
According to him, the reward changed the fortunes of some of the players, with some using the money to acquire properties while others travelled abroad.
The payments came after Hearts of Oak completed one of the greatest achievements in Ghanaian club football, defeating Tunisian giants Espérance 5-2 on aggregate in the two-legged final.
The Phobians stunned Espérance 2-1 in the first leg in Tunis on December 2, 2000, before completing the job with a 3-1 victory at the Accra Sports Stadium on December 17.
Emmanuel Osei Kuffour scored twice in the second leg, while Ishmael Addo added the decisive third goal as Hearts lifted their first CAF Champions League title.
FKA/AM
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