Sports We would have paid the Ghanaian players their bonuses - FIFA

[Chris Maduewesi]

World football governing body FIFA has revealed that they almost intervened in the bonus rows that engulfed the Black Stars and the Ghana Football Association(GFA) at the 2014 FIFA World Cup tournament.

The players threatened not to play their last game against Portugal if they were not paid their appearance fee,which prompted the Ghanaian government to airlift $3million to Brazil in order to settle the aggrieved players.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said that it was a sad occurrence adding that they would have stepped in to settle the rift.

"The players have the right to receive their money but it would be much easier to do this by bank transfer," he said.

"The fact that the money came in cash is also sad because I was ready to sign a letter, as long as I had a copy of the agreement between the national association and the players, that the money would be paid by FIFA by bank transfer into their personal accounts.

"FIFA would have made sure to deduct the players' money from the prize money paid to the national association."

Photo Credit: Wikipedia