Players of the Black Stars kept their respective $100,000 World Cup appearance fee n the dressing room ahead of Ghana’s final Group G game against Portugal in Brazil.
This was revealed by recently-sacked Coach Kwasi Appiah when he appeared before the Presidential Commission investigating Ghana’s participation at the World Cup.
According to him, the players hid the money in their bags before filing out onto the pitch for the must-win Portugal match.
He said the appearance fee row that hit the team during the tournament was responsible for the team’s early exit at the competition.
He said the failure of the Black Stars management to deliver the money on time adversely affected his team’s ability to deliver on the pitch .
Appiah said after a lot of back and forth between the players and the Black Stars management, the money was finally paid late in the night ahead of the Portugal game.
Appiah said it was possible that after receiving the money, the players, out of excitement, could not catch enough sleep ahead of the 1pm Portugal match, leading to the 2-1 loss.
He added that in future, issues relating to appearance fees should be sorted out ahead of every tournament.
Touching on the decision to send midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng home for alleged indiscipline, Appiah said it was necessary to maintain harmony and unity in camp.
The former Black Stars Captain explained that Boateng verbally assaulted him and engaged in behaviour that offended his fellow team-mates.
Appiah said after an encounter in training, in which Boateng used the F-word to describe him, he gave the Schalke midfielder a few days to apologise and put up a dignified behaviour, but the 27-year-old former German youth player refused to turn over a new leaf.
Appiah went on to laugh off claims that he lost control over his players, stressing that the players respected and looked up to him.
He added that in the six years that he was with the team – first as Assistant Coach and then substantive Coach – he discovered and invited about 18 members of the current team to play for the Black Stars.
Asked what the future held for him, Appiah said he said his destiny was in God’s hands.