Gov’t didn’t airlift cash to World Cup in Germany – Former Sports Minister Insists

The Member of Parliament for Secondi has described comments by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) president that appearance fees for the Black Stars were airlifted in 2006 as untrue and ambiguous.

“The statement is absolutely false and deliberately misleading”. he said on the floor of Parliament last Thursday.

Papa Owusu Ankomah who was the Minister of Youth and Sports and head of the delegation that led the Black Stars to the 2006 World Cup held in Germany said no such thing happened.

He went on to say that his deputy at the time, Mr. O.B Amoah has made several statements to the fact that the comments made by the GFA president were incorrect.

An amount of $3 million dollars was airlifted to Brazil as appearance fees for the Black Stars after they threatened to boycott their crucial match against Portugal.

This situation caused uproar among both local and international press with many describing it as a shame.

However the GFA president has said the practice was a normal one adding that in both 2006 and 2010 World Cup, appearance fees was airlifted to the players.

Papa Owusu Ankomah has therefore advised members of parliament who have given credence to the GFA president’s statement to get their facts right before endorsing such statements.