Ghana's World Cup commission wants Black Stars players to sign contracts with country

Published on: 18 August 2014
Ghana's World Cup commission wants Black Stars players to sign contracts with country
Ghana will sign contracts with Black Stars players before tournaments

Ghana's World Cup commission has agreed with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) that Black Stars players must sign contracts with the country before they are invited to the national team in future to avoid conflicts with management.

Justice Senyo Dzamefe made this known on Monday that this proposal will be part of his recommendations for the revival of the Black Stars following their disastrous showing at the World Cup.

The GFA revealed that contracts with players at future international tournaments will be signed to avoid the problems encountered at the 2014 World Cup over bonus payments.

Under the scheme players will be asked to sign the team's code of conduct, agreed amount as bonuses before tournaments and mode of payment of bonuses which will be through the banks.

The players took strike action because they had not been paid prior to Brazil 2014, resulting in $3m (£1.74m) in cash flown out to appease the squad.

Players $100,000 appearance fees each even though government had resolved to give them $82,500 which led to an agitation by the players at the World Cup.

The country's football association said it would revert to "signed agreements" and bank transfers for bonuses.

Now the commission set up to investigate the Black Stars poor showing at the World Cup also agrees that the new measures to be implemented is the right way to go.

"These are the systems we want to put in place after the commission of inquiry's work. Cash payments, agitations for increment will be a thing of the past," Justice Dzamefe said.

"The players, even before they are given their training kits, are given the terms of contract to sign. Those who agree will go to Brazil or wherever we are going next time.

"So that if you don’t agree on $82,500 here and when you get there you say no you want $100,000. It’s a system failure and I am happy you say they (GFA) now want to correct that.

"We will develop that for the nation so that from now on no national teams will even see cash. The mode of payment you must have agreed on figures before you even set off."

Ghana failed to qualify from the group stage in Brazil.

In the aftermatch of the World Cup, coach Kwesi Appiah revealed he will introduce a tougher code of conduct for the national team's players following events at this year's tournament.

Appiah sent Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng home early from the tournament in Brazil for physical and verbal assaults respectively.

He said: "Players who come in will be made to sign contracts to forestall any problems like those [in Brazil].

"The contracts will spell out clearly camp rules and all other conditions."

Muntari and Boateng were suspended indefinitely for their behaviour and told to leave the camp before Ghana's last group match against Portugal, which ended in a 2-1 defeat and elimination from the tournament.

As well as the defeat by Portugal, Ghana lost 2-1 to the United States and drew 2-2 with Germany.

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