Former Asante Kotoko defender, Frimpong Manso, has revealed the disparity in treatment between foreign-based and local-based players during his time with the Black Stars. Manso, who represented Ghana from 1992 to 1994, disclosed that foreign-based players were given their bonuses in dollars, while the local-based players received their payments in cedis.
The revelation caused chaos within the team, leading to a demoralizing 6-1 defeat to Germany in a friendly match. Manso expressed how the situation came to light and its impact on the team’s performance. He stated, “It took a while for us to know of the situation. The professionals were given their bonuses in dollars while we, the local players, got ours in cedis, and that led to poor performance when we played against Germany in a friendly where we were beaten 6-1.”
The discontentment among the local-based players prompted them to voice their grievances to the authorities and vow to prevent such discrepancies in the future. Manso highlighted that even some players who were on the bench had already received their money, which further fueled the sense of unfair treatment.
Frimpong Manso had a successful playing career, featuring for Kumasi Cornerstones from 1983 to 1986 before joining Asante Kotoko in 1992 and departing in 1995. Following his retirement from playing, he ventured into coaching, serving as the coach for Ghana’s U17 team from 2008 to 2019. Manso also had stints assisting interim coach Godwin Ablordey at Asante Kotoko and managing Nkoranza Warriors and Techiman Eleven Wonders.
