Former Hearts of Oak defender Raddy Ovouka has disclosed that he initially received a monthly salary of GHC 800 when he signed with the Ghanaian football club in 2018.
Ovouka recounted that he was presented with the offer upon his arrival in Ghana and was given the ultimatum to either accept the deal or leave, as the club had not witnessed his playing skills.
“I signed a five-year deal with Hearts of Oak from 2018 to 2023. When I was about to sign the contract, they told me they had never seen me play before, so if I didn’t like the salary, I could leave,” Ovouka shared with ghanasportspage.com.
The Congolese defender, facing the challenge of being new to Ghana and needing shelter, reluctantly accepted the terms to secure his place in the team.
Ovouka, however, took the opportunity to renegotiate his salary in 2021 after acquiring an agent. He conveyed to the agent that his GHC800 salary was insufficient, prompting the agent to engage in talks with Hearts of Oak.
The club offered an increase to GHC4,000, contingent on Ovouka extending his contract by one additional year, pushing the expiration date to 2024. Despite the initial reluctance, Ovouka eventually agreed after his agent successfully negotiated certain terms included in the contract.
The defender’s journey with Hearts of Oak marked a significant turning point in his career with the 23-year-old making 47 appearances for the Phobians per transfermarkt before he later joined New Mexico United in the USA.
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