Ghana FA asked FIFA $2.3m cash bail out to avert player revolt at the 2014 World Cup

Published on: 01 October 2014
Ghana FA asked FIFA $2.3m cash bail out to avert player revolt at the 2014 World Cup
FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke

Kwesi Nyantakyi has revealed the Ghana FA requested for a cash payment of $2.3m from FIFA in a desperate attempt to sway players from staging a training boycott during the 2014 World Cup.

A revised payment of a $100,000 promised to each player for making it into the final 23-man squad for the tournament staged in Brazil was delayed by the Sports Ministry.

Subsequent promises made by authorities about when exactly the monies will be paid to the players failed to materialize – resulting in a player revolt in the Ghana camp ahead of their final group game against Portugal.

The Black Stars refused to train for two sessions in the lead up to the 2-1 defeat to Portugal in protest of the delayed payment of appearance fees.

Ghana FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi has now revealed he impressed on FIFA’s General Secretary Jerome Valcke on whether cash could be arranged to pay the players when they had again rejected a proposal to have monies transferred to their accounts.

“FIFA contacted us seeking to know why we had delayed in catching out flight and that is where after explaining the circumstances, requested for a bail out from FIFA,” Nyantakyi narrated to the Presidential Commission.

“And they demanded contracts between the GFA and the players and also the bank accounts of the players so that the money is transferred to them.

“But the players refused so then I had to travel to go meet the General Secretary of FIFA – Jerome Valcke – who was my friend to ask him whether it was possible for him to get us cash.

“We were looking for $2.3m to pay the players to save the image of the World Cup.

“But Jerome told me ‘Kwesi, you are my friend but they will cut off my head if I bring cash to Brazil’.”

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