Did The GFA let Ghana Down?

Did The GFA Let Ghana Down?

Perkins T Bare

While Ghana’s pair Muntari and Boateng were sent packing by their coach Kwesi Appiah the decision surely showed that the discontent in their camp had reached boiling levels for it costed them a birth in the knockout stages of the tournament.

The Ghana Football Association released a statement saying "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."

This also seemed to be the same reason on his former teammate Boateng as they also “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."

One would then wonder whether the coach was just trying to stamp his authority both in the team by sending home arguably two of their best players ahead of a crucial match for surely he had enough of it for most of the team members were contemplating boycotting their final group match against Portugal.

Most might just blame both the players for standing up or simply being hot-headed but surely this is just a cat and mouse game being played for the GFA clearly let down its own.

Boateng went on to tell the German newspaper Sport Bild,"I'm now leaving and wish my teammates the best possible for the World Cup and the game against Portugal."

After being quoted as having ‘sleepless nights’ is it not definitely another case of sheer greed and mismanagement?

During the pre-match conference Appiah said “We had problems but it's all been resolved now...Every coach will not want to be in this situation where players are requesting for money when you have such an important game to play,” Appiah added.

“It’s not the best for me. For the past two days I have had sleepless nights. I have not been able to close my eyes,” the drowsy appiah went on to add that “Normally you sort this out before a major tournament. You can’t keep telling the players the money will come when it hasn’t come. It is unfortunate I find myself in this situation.”
Though most will ridicule them for inconsistency it is also unfortunate that whilst the World Cup prize money which ranges in Brazil from $8 million for being knocked out in the group stage to $35 million for winning the title being normally paid after the tournament and surely no reason for them not to pay their players for they had ample time before the tournament to prepare fully for the tournament it just goes on to show that this was a pure case of mismanagement just like the Cameroon.

Supersport’s Gary Al Smith who were one of the leading journalists uncovering this incident patiently waiting for it to boil over said ‘The camp is a mess, and it is likely that Boateng and Muntari’s exit is the just the opening of a Pandora ’s Box’.

Now is this not the same reason why most African teams have been deliberately underperforming conceding silly goals and the main reason behind Cameroon’s demise?

In a move which has (had) garnered worldwide attention, a chartered jet flew three million dollars ($3m) in cash in one hundred dollar bills to Brasilia on Wednesday evening. The world’s media have reacted in awe at the running episode with the BBC‘s radio report called the event of flying the money at the last minute  “bizarre”; CNN could only manage “shocking”; ESPN went with “weird” and France 24 asserted that it was “incredible but true”.

Though most will ridicule them for inconsistency it is also unfortunate that whilst the World Cup prize money which ranges in Brazil from $8 million for being knocked out in the group stage to $35 million for winning the title being normally paid after the tournament and surely no reason for them not to pay their players for they had ample time before the tournament to prepare fully for the tournament it just goes on to show that this was a pure case of mismanagement just like the Cameroon.