It is without contention that the quarter-final finish at the 2010 World Cup remains Ghana and perhaps Africa’s highest and possibly most dramatic experience at the World Cup.
It is also without a doubt that the off-field issues that rocked Ghana's participation in the 2014 World Cup ranks highest as Africa’s most disgraceful moment in World Cup history.
It's an episode Ghanaians would not love to hear of again, unfortunately, however, it has become an undeletable part of Ghana’s World Cup history.
As the country and the Black Stars prepare for another World Cup, there have been cautions from former footballers for the government and the Ghana Football Association to avoid a repeat of the Brazil debacle.
GhanaWeb brings you five things government/GFA must do to avoid another Brazil.
Be candid with the players
Whereas the narrative has been that the players were holding the nation to ransom over their appearance bonus, the few players who spoke on the issues in Brazil, attribute it to the lack of candidness by the government and FA officials.
Most of the players believe that if the government and ministry was honest enough to tell them that their appearance fees were not going to be ready during the World Cup, they would have understood and focused on playing football.
Instead, they were told lies upon lies until they could no longer stomach the lies and had to register their displeasure.
The government and FA will have to be honest and forthright with the Black Stars players.
Settle the money issues before the tournament kicks off
If the government/FA do not want to have their version of the Brazil debacle, they must meet with the leadership of the team and settle all bonus issues.
Before emplaning to Qatar, all parties must have a common ground so that the issues will not pop up in Qatar.
Issues of per diems, winning bonuses, and appearance fees must be decided before the tournament.
Limit the number of officials, and gov’t appointees around the team
One of the things that triggered the Black Stars players in Brazil was the hijacking of their hotel by Ghanaian officials and other staff.
Players were disturbed that the officials invaded their hotel and made them restless. They also felt the officials had better benefits than the players themselves.
The FA must make a conscious effort to ensure that the Black Stars is devoid of such incidents.
Governing party officials must limit their engagement with the players.
Trust
The mistrust between players and Black Stars and government officials was partly to be blamed for the mess in Brazil.
The players did not trust the management as they believe the officials were not looking out for their interest.
Keep the money issues away from the media
Credit to the current FA, the monetary issues around the Black Stars have been relegated to the background with little discussion about it.
The players must be made to focus on training for success and not follow discussions on traditional and social media platforms.
The budget and its accompaniment but not be made public, until after the World Cup.
Black Stars are in Group H of the World Cup