RIO DE JANEIRO — Ghana players needed a phone call from their country’s president to get them on a plane to Brasilia for the decisive group game against Portugal after an argument with officials over unpaid bonuses.
The Ghana Football Association said President John Dramani Mahama “personally spoke with the players” to reassure them they would get their money, avoiding an embarrassing squad strike.
According to Ghanaian media, the money — between $1.7 million and $2.3 million — was being flown over to Brazil in a specially chartered plane because the players didn’t trust that officials would make the electronic transfers.
Conceding that the players were “agitated” over the unpaid bonuses, the GFA says the squad is now focused on Thursday’s Group G game.
Player bonuses have been a big bone of contention for African teams at this World Cup. Before the tournament, Cameroon’s squad refused to board a plane to Brazil until their bonuses were improved, forcing the federation to take out a loan to pay them. There have also been rumblings of discontent over pay in the Nigeria and Ivory Coast camps.