The 2014 World Cup in Brazil was unsuccessful - Kwesi Nyantakyi
5th October 2022
President of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi gestures as he gives an interview at the Rei Pele stadium in Maceio, Ghana's base training camp, on June 23, 2014. Nyantakyi says they will sue Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper over its claim he agreed for the national team to play in two proposed matches which he would "fix" after the World Cup. The allegations came after a joint undercover investigation by the Daily Telegraph and Channel 4 programme Dispatches. The investigation identified two people, one a FIFA licensed agent and the other a Ghana football association club official. The Ghana national football team will face Portugal in Brasilia on June 26, 2014 in their last first round group match of the 2014 FIFA World cup. AFP PHOTO / CARL DE SOUZA (Photo credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)
Former President of the Ghana Football Association, Mr. Kwesi Nyantakyi says that the 2014 FIFA World Cup in which Ghana participated was marred by money issues.
The then NDC government airlifted a whopping sum of $3 million to the players who had threatened to boycott the World Cup unless the money is paid to them in cash and not through bank transfers.
Ghana was making its third World Cup appearance in Brazil after spells at the 2006 FIFA World Cup which was their debut in Germany and 2010 in South Africa.
The Black Stars in 2010 became the third African nation to reach the quarter finals of the World Cup as they lost to Uruguay on penalties.
"The 2006 and 2010 World Cups were successful but the 2014 one was unsuccessful. There were so many problems," he told Kings TV GH.
"The problem had to do with the monies that were supposed to be given to the players.
"The Bank of Ghana had credited the Ministry of Youth and Sports account, but for them to release it to the players, it became a problem. The point is, based on our previous experiences, the players were paid before leaving for the tournament.
"The moment we named the 23 players, the Ministry were supposed to pay the players and it will have been through credit transfer but that was a huge problem. There was no need in flying money to Brazil."
Ghana exited the 2014 FIFA World Cup at the group stage after losing to Portugal, the USA and drawing 2-2 with eventual winners Germany.