The Ghana Football Association (GFA) will challenge the findings of an inquiry which questioned how more than US$3.5 million meant for the teamââ¬â¢s preparations for last yearââ¬â¢s World Cup was used.
The GFA also said on Saturday it was offended by the inquiryââ¬â¢s description of an equipment manager who received a $100,000 appearance fee for the World Cup in Brazil as a ââ¬Åball boy.ââ¬
A report released this month said the GFA must explain how it spent $1.5m from Fifa and another $2m from the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, who is the sponsor of the national team.
Also, GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi, a senior African football executive, should account for $200,000 given to him by the government to organise a friendly match ahead of the World Cup, the inquiryââ¬â¢s report said.
In response, the GFA said that there were several ââ¬Åmisleading and inaccurate conclusionsâ⬠and it had instructed its lawyers to challenge the reportââ¬â¢s findings in court.
The GFA did not say which specific parts of the report it disagreed with, but it appeared to be most upset with the description of Ismail Hamida, the national teamââ¬â¢s kit manager, as a ââ¬Åball boy.ââ¬
Hamida was one of several members of Ghanaââ¬â¢s management team at the World Cup in Brazil to get $100,000 in ââ¬Åappearance feesââ¬, according to the inquiry. Hamida, the players and coach Kwesi Appiah all received $100,000, as did the masseuse and video analyst.
ââ¬ÅWe wish to state that the commissionââ¬â¢s description of the kit manager or equipment officer as a ââ¬Ëball boyââ¬â¢ is hideously inappropriate,â⬠the GFA said.
The commission that drafted the report was seeking to ââ¬Åmockâ⬠the official, the GFA said.
Following the release of the report, Ghana president John Mahama ordered an audit to investigate how the GFA spent the $3.5m in World Cup preparation money.
Mahamaââ¬â¢s instructions also said a $200,000 payment from the government to federation head Nyantakyi for a warm-up game ahead of the tournament should be further investigated ââ¬Åto clear any doubt of double funding and/or misappropriation of funds.ââ¬
Nyantakyi is a member of Fifaââ¬â¢s associations committee and sits on the Confederation of African Footballââ¬â¢s top executive committee. He is also the president of the West African Football Union.
Fifa declined to comment on the inquiry, but it said Ghanaââ¬â¢s football body had received its full amount of $8m in prize money from Fifa for the 2014 World Cup.
Ghanaââ¬â¢s campaign at the tournament was chaotic, with players threatening to go on strike over unpaid bonuses. The government flew $3m in cash to Brazil to keep the players from walking off the job.
Quarter-finalists in 2010, Ghana were eliminated in the group stage in Brazil without winning a game.