Kwesi Nyantakyi goes ballastic, blasts 'wicked' journalists for fabricating World Cup budget figures

Published on: 14 April 2014
Kwesi Nyantakyi goes ballastic, blasts 'wicked' journalists for fabricating World Cup budget figures
Kwesi Nyantakyi

By Patrick Akoto

Ghana FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi has launched a stinging pot at 'some wicked' journalists for trying to creating disaffection for the association over the 2014 World Cup budget.

The ever-smiling Ghanaian football leader is livid over allegations of corruption against the GFA in the wake of intense debate over the approved budget for the 2014 World Cup.

Government has approved a figure in the region of $9 million for the global showpiece in Brazil, which is a far cry from the speculated $20 million amount by a section of the Ghanaian media.

A section of the Ghanaian, in a virulent campaign, claimed that America's budget of the entire World Cup competition is $2m, which has now been exposed as a total fabrication.

That is because the budget for the bonuses of just coach Jurgen Klinsmann is $10.5m which means if all aspects of the budget like bonuses for players and officials as well as preparations and other logistics are added the USA budget will rocket.

Nyantakyi has gone banana-crazy over the debate on the budget and says the figures being bandied about in the media are being concocted by ‘wicked’ journalists, who are determined to see his back.

"All these brouhaha and controversies about the World Cup budget were concocted by wicked (journalists) who should have known better and who know the real truth but won’t say it as it is,” Nyantakayi is quoted by Ghanasportsonline to have said.

"It can only take a lunatic to say such things, because if only you are not sick in the head and not a mad man, you wouldn't talk about inflated figures in the budget.

"How can a person who is mentally sound, how can a person who is not a lunatic publish and claim that the Ghana Football Association has inflated figures that we are sending to the minister and the chief of staff?"

"They have planned, all these have been planned and I believe its intentional and they just want to say bad things about the GFA.

"You can at times get confused to even determine whether such people are truly Ghanaians because after all the budget that we prepare will be sent to the minister and the minister is not blind.

"This will also go the Chief of Staff who is also not blind and will go through other processes of vetting including the cabinet."

Nyantakyi said he approached the USA Soccer Federation President Sunil at a recent FIFA meeting in Zurich and he confirmed that the USA budget is far higher than what was reported in the Ghanaian media.

"When I met the US federation President Sunil in Zurich, I told him what what reported in the Ghanaian media and he was surprised by the report. He said the figure was much much higher as their plans for the tournament are very extensive," Nyantakyi said.

Every budget for Ghana’s World Cup participation resurrects a ritual of debate over whether the amount is prudent for a one-month long competition or an overly wasteful outlay of scarce resources.

But those who are opposed to the Nyantakyi administration hide the fact that the World Cup brings profits to Ghana rather than the claims of loses to the tax payer.

Ghana received $11m from its participation at the 2010 World Cup when it spent $9m which means the country made a profit of $2m.

Ghana will make a profit of about $4m even if the Black Stars crash out at the group stage of the competition.

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