Ghana players refuse to play unless they are paid 3m. KPB and Muntari sent back to Ghana for misconduct.

Ghana President Flies $3 Million In Cash To Disgruntled World Cup Players

BRASILIA, Brazil (CBSNewYork/AP) — As much as $3 million in cash sent by Ghana’s president was expected to arrive in Brazil on a plane Wednesday in a bid to appease members of the country’s World Cup squad who are unhappy at being denied bonus payments.

President John Dramani Mahama has been forced to personally intervene in the latest bonus row to hit African football, which has seriously disrupted Ghana’s preparations for its decisive Group G game against Portugal on Thursday.

Ghana midfielder Christian Atsu dismissed fears the team would boycott its final group game in Brasilia, which the Ghanaians need to win to stand any chance of reaching the second round.

“We are not going to say we are not going to play because of the money,” Atsu said. “We love our nation and we are going to play for our nation.”

Asked what the players will do with the appearance-fee cash — reportedly between $75,000 and $100,000 each — if they receive it as planned on Wednesday, Atsu said: “I think we will keep it in our bags and we’ll just lock them. And we will transfer the money to our accounts.”

Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah said he had been having “sleepless nights” over the issue which came to a head on Tuesday when the players and team management had a meeting instead of conducting a training session. President Mahama “personally spoke to the players” to assure them they would receive the money, the Ghana Football Association said in a statement.

“Every player … knows it is his right,” Appiah said.

“The management and the government are trying to sort it out and everything will be sorted out in two or three hours’ time,” he added. “They should have received it before the start of the competition but it’s being solved now and we are really focused on the game now.”

Players aren’t being paid by electronic transfer because “the practice in Ghana has always been paying the money in cash,” Appiah said.

Appiah wouldn’t give an exact figure for the appearance fees owed to the players, saying: “I would be a bad person … the players would kill me if I said.”

Ghana’s deputy sports minister Joseph Yammin said that around $3 million would be flown over, but it wasn’t clear how Ghana would be able to bring the money into Brazil without paying tax on it.

Brazilian officials said bringing in such an amount and not declaring it to authorities would be illegal and that the entire amount could be confiscated. Individuals cannot bring in more than $4,500 each without having it subject to taxes, said Brazil’s Federal Police, who enforce custom and immigration laws.

The nation’s federal tax agency also said it knew of no exemptions for any individuals or entities, including Ghana’s World Cup team. The agency didn’t indicate in the emailed statement what sort of taxes could be levied on money over that limit.

Like other African countries playing at the World Cup, Ghana’s government is financing the player bonuses. The money will later be reimbursed by some of the prize money — of at least $8 million — that FIFA guarantees each country, even if it is knocked out in the group stage. That won’t be paid to Ghana until after the tournament, the GFA said. FIFA also gives each of the 32 teams competing $1.5 million beforehand to help with preparation costs.

Before the tournament, Cameroon’s squad refused to board a plane to Brazil until their demands for improved bonuses were met. There have also been rumblings of discontent over pay in the Nigeria and Ivory Coast camps.

Ghana was Africa’s only team to qualify for the second round at the last World Cup and reached the quarterfinals. On Thursday, Ghana must beat Portugal and hope Germany beats the United States heavily in the other group game to advance.

Ghana's Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari suspended

Ghana stars Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng have been indefinitely suspended from their country's World Cup squad after bust-ups with management, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) said on Thursday.

Muntari, 29, is accused of attacking a member of the management team, Moses Armah, while Boateng, 27, is said to have verbally abused national team coach Kwesi Appiah, the GFA said on its website.

The news comes just one day after the Ghana government said it was flying $US3 million ($3.25 million) to Brazil to resolve a financial dispute with players, who boycotted training on Monday in protest.

Referring to AC Milan player Muntari, the GFA said: "The decision was taken in the wake of his unprovoked physical attack on an Executive Committee member of the GFA and a management member of the Black Stars, Mr. Moses Armah on Tuesday 24th June, 2014 during a meeting."

A similar statement explained the measure taken against Boateng, who plays for German side Schalke 04.

"The decision was taken following Boateng's vulgar verbal insults targeted at coach Kwesi Appiah during the team's training session in Maceio this week," said the GFA statement.

"Boateng has since showed no remorse for his actions which has resulted in the decision."

Both players have had their World Cup accreditations withdrawn, while the GFA said the decisions were taken with immediate effect.

In an interview with German newspaper Sport Bild, Boateng said Appiah had swore at him during an altercation which erupted after the two players were ordered back to the changing room for laughing during a training session.

"I asked him what he has against me, whereupon he began to scream at me. He insulted me too ... " said Boateng.

"I absolutely accept that (being sent home) but no-one should believe that I would have insulted the coach, nor to lay blame at my door.

"I'm now leaving and wish my teammates the best possible for the World Cup and the game against Portugal."

The latest revelations from the Ghana camp cap a tumultuous week.
On Wednesday midfielder Christian Atsu denied the players were threatening to boycott their final Group G game amid wrangling over bonuses.

"We love our country and we will play," said Atsu.

The team ended their protests after Ghana president John Dramani Mahama personally assured them that he would send a chartered plane with the promised amount, more than $US3 million ($3.25 million), Atsu said.
Appiah said he was relieved the government had intervened.

"The president has intervened. That is a good thing, the government took matters in hand," Appiah told a pre-match press conference.

Because of the bonus row, the team only arrived in Brasilia late on Wednesday and missed pre-match training.

Appiah, who has been coach since 2012, defended his players' actions, explaining the bonuses should have been paid before the finals.

"FIFA pays the federations only when they arrive. The players have to wait to be paid and the country must find the money before they arrive and that is where the problem lies," said Appiah.

Muntari, who was suspended for the Portugal game anyway after picking up two yellow cards already at the World Cup, started both Ghana's games so far in the competition while Boateng came on as a substitute against the United States before starting against Germany.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/fifa-world-cup-2014/world-cup-news-2014/ghanas-kevinprince-boateng-and-sulley-muntari-suspended-20140626-zsngg.html#ixzz35mJbuxlg

#FranceTeamOf2010IsBack

More seriously: Shameful.
It's a great team though, Ghana VS Germany was insane, they even deserved to win.

Insoucious wrote:#FranceTeamOf2010IsBack

I was going to post that but I thought people would call me a france hater again

John Boye kissing his 100k stack dat love of country

They have to be true idiots to want that in cash. Now the entire population of Brazil know they are carrying all this cash on them and I guess a fair amount of criminals have them as their targets. Better get out soon.

How did they get the money in the country in the first place. You're only allowed about 4.5k per person.

the convoy going through Brasilia to deliver the cash

All dat credit card scam money

Africa

pls Yeezus this is Ghana not Nigeria

Really shameful.

Despite how shit he is Boateng earns a lot playing club football. What a disgrace to boycott your nation for even more money. Even more pathetic to make demands like that.

Soul wrote:Despite how shit he is Boateng earns a lot playing club football. What a disgrace to boycott your nation for even more money. Even more pathetic to make demands like that.

Boateng treats the Ghana national team like a personal pleasure place dropping out when he likes (read slogging in the qualifiers) and coming in when he likes (read glitz of the world cup finals). If it were up to me players with this kind of attitude wouldn't be allowed anywhere near national teams.

BTW Soul that's a crazy signature !!!

B-Mac wrote:pls Yeezus this is Ghana not Nigeria

Now Nigeria have followed suit unfortunately. Apart from the outrage that this report has generated what's funny is that even in these days the money is not being electronically transferred to bank accounts but is being flown in as cash. Unbelievable.

Really shameful. but on the other hand Boateng is German , he is grown in Germany , he talks the German , he plays with Ghana simply  because Germany would have not called . It is a choice of convenience. He left even the Ghana for a period because he wanted to focus on Milan. And he did this before of Africa Cup.
His sense of belonging to Ghana is 0 .

http://sportbild.bild.de/fussball-wm/2014/fussball/boateng-interview-abrechnung-mit-ghana-36596722.sport.html

From yesterday, long and detailed interview with Kevin Prince Boaeng about the WC with Ghana and the circumstances of his suspension, for those who can read German.

In it, he talks about the conditions of the preparations, and complains how badly the flights/hotels were and how the Ghanaian federation continued to break its promises regarding team surroundings.
For example, he claims the hotel before the US game had water leaking into his room so that he had to change it etc., also that officials lost his luggage and he was without shoes and taping material for days.
Etc. pp.

He's more or less insinuating that officials of the federation are enriching themselves with sponsorship money at the expense of a proffesional work environment for the national team.

Robespierre wrote:Really shameful. but on the other hand Boateng is German , he is grown in Germany , he talks the German , he plays with Ghana simply  because Germany would have not called . It is a choice of convenience. He left even the Ghana for a period because he wanted to focus on Milan. And he did this before of Africa Cup.
His sense of belonging to Ghana is 0 .

Completely agree. Boateng quit the team, not once, but twice before this incident. If he wasn't so important to them, he wouldn't have been welcomed back.

That is true, however Prince surely isn't the only one who plays for one of the NTs he's eligible for out of 'convenience', or footballing reasons, or other reasons.
Boateng played in German Under -.. teams, but he was mobbed by the DFB, he was cast as the notorios bad boy.

So he decided for Ghana as his father's country, other players have done similarly. Dejagah for Iran, for example.
Jermaine Jones for USA.

As for his return, he claims team manager Appiah came to Milan to ask him to return.

Now Nigeria did not practice in one of the days in the run up to the France match because they are in a fight with their federation.

Jesus, I never seen these types of story being to open the manager and everyone involved admits to it so openly? I didnt keep up with all the news but this is definitely surprising to the extend of them treating it as normal.... Some nations are so corrupt....