Former  Youth and Sports Minister under the erstwhile NDC government, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah has vividly unmasked the events that led to the unfortunate events in Brazil at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

A near mutiny was averted as players agitated for the appearance fees to be paid to them even before they played their last game against Portugal.

After the tournament, a presidential committee was established to look into the ignominy caused the nation by the players at the tournament.

He says that negotiations on appearance fees started even before the team traveled to their camping base in Montenegro as the government wanted to pay $75,000 but the players insisted it was $100,000 or bust.

Speaking in an interview with Luv FM's Delali  Atiase, the government even sent a two-man delegation to speak to the team but they will not budge.

He adds that the  GFAat some point even  decided to top up the government's $75,000 offer  to $82,500 but  the money hungry players were just not interested if it was not $100,000.

“You know the first World Cup they had an appearance fee of $50,000, then the second world cup they had $75,000 and this time they asked for $100,000 and the government said this time things are difficult and then they [players] said no, it is either the $100,000 or nothing. So, when I realized they were being difficult and they had gone to Montenegro for training, I told the government we need to send a team to go and speak with them. Dr. Mustapha and Hon Adu Asare were assigned to inform them of the government’s position. They went and came back and said the players said they still will not accept it. And this was a cabinet decision, cabinet with the President, his Vice and all the other ministers and for me I thought it was very disrespectful to the state and to the country,” said the former Sports Minister.

According to the former Sports Minister, the team had threatened to boycott the opening game against the USA if their $100,000 is not paid to them.

He says  that  the  intervention of the then vice president late Kwesi Amissah Arthur saved the day as promised they will get  their wish  of  $100,000.

“People don’t know that when we got to Brazil even before the first match with America, they threatened to boycott unless they got their $100,000. So, I had to go to the then Vice President, H.E Paa Kwesi Amissah Authur who was there to represent Ghana and told him this is the crisis we have. So, he came onto the field and told them you would get your $100,000. So, the Vice President had to overturn a cabinet decision based on the exigency of the situation,” he said.