“We told GFA it was legally wrong for betPawa to have Momo Numbers of our players and we still stand by it” – Kotoko’s Administrative manager Newton Dasoberi

Dasoberi Explains Locker Room Bonus Issue : Asante Kotoko administrative and operations manager Emmanuel Newton Dasoberi has explained why the club refused to subscribed to the Locker Room Bonus initiative introduced by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) this season. 

GFA spokesman Henry Asante Twum revealed that all Premier League clubs have subscribed to the initiative except Asante Kotoko and one other club.

“Now to the issue of giving players mobile/momo numbers to betPawa. When that request was made, we told the GFA it was legally wrong for betPawa to have the MoMo number of our players. We deemed it ethically wrong and still stand by it because that would amount to third-party dealings.” , Newton Dasoberi said in a social media statement.

He continued :

“Our players do not have contracts with betPawa so on what basis should we give their numbers to a betting company and not know what they would do with the numbers apart from the supposed payment of locker room bonuses?

The GFA and betPawa insisted on getting the phone numbers, so we told them to keep all our bonuses and transfer them to the club’s account for onward distribution to the players at the end of the season.

We are, therefore, amazed that Henry would stoop so low to talk about this matter the way he did. Why did he ignore the fact that we said the money should be paid into the club’s account?

Why do he and people of his ilk always interested in creating a non-existent impression to the public? What would you gain with a such misleading oratory on public radio?

What Henry and his team of propagandists need to do is to conduct research before talking. You don’t just speak based on emotions. Do you hate Kotoko or its leadership or any individual within the club?
Be honest as the mouthpiece of the FA.

Speak based on science and research. You can’t continue to expose your ignorance of how the GFA works. Maybe he needs to sit down carefully and listen to all that he was saying.

We all remember the issue of Veo and the troubles we went through with the GFA. At that time people chastised us for fighting the system. As we speak today, most of the clubs are using it.

All we seek to do is to develop the game and as a member of the FA, we owe it to the game to push what we believe will improve the game.

Let it be placed on record that we have absolutely nothing against the GFA, but we would not sit for our rights to be trampled upon.
We must, as a collective unit, fight for the development of the game devoid of intimidation, witch-hunting, name-calling and what have you.

If Henry wants an honest debate on this matter he can arrange it at one of their favourite media outlets and we would be there to debate him intellectually on the issues.

Until then, the supporters of Kotoko must understand that we are not fighting the FA. All we seek to do is simply ask for fairness.”