Former Sports Minister reveals cause of 2014 World Cup disgrace

Ghana exit 2014 World Cup with just a point

Germany win 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil

Government set up commission of inquiry to probe Brazil fiasco

Former Minister for Youth and Sports, Mahama Ayariga has revealed that unfulfilled promises by officials of the Ghana Football Association and government caused the 2014 FIFA World Cup fiasco.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup remains one of the biggest nightmares of Ghanaians as the Black Stars dominated international headlines with both on and off-the-field issues.

Many media outlets reported that the feud that happened between the players and the officials was as a result of momentary issues but Mahama Ayariga has told GhanaWeb in an exclusive interview that the officials should be blamed for not honoring their promises to the players.

The Bawku Central Constituency Member of Parliament told GhanaWeb’s, Perez Erzoah Kwaw on the Sports Check program that the problem of Brazil 2014 was not about money but a breach of gentlemen’s agreement between the players and the officials.

“The boys told me that Minister we don’t play for money but when you promise us money and we go hard to kill ourselves for it, you have to show us respect by giving us that money.”

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“They told me the problem in Brazil was not money but the problem was that they were promised and disrespected by not honoring the promise made to them. And even when they asked, there were further promises and further disrespect by not honoring that promise also,” Mahama Ayariga told host Perez Erzoah Kwaw on GhanaWeb’s sports Check show.

Mahama Ayariga added that the Black Stars players would have played the 2014 FIFA World Cup for free if they had been told before the tournament that the country does not have money to pay them.

“They said that if from the beginning, they had been told to come and play for the Black Stars without money but we will give you the World Cup platform, they would have played because the World Cup platform is bigger than any amount of money to footballers,” the former Sports Minister added in his narration on GhanaWeb’s Sports Check show.

The Black Stars exited the 2014 FIFA World Cup from the group stages with just a point after being paired in a group that had the USA, Portugal, and eventual winners Germany.

Two players were sent home from camp after a scuffle with some officials of the team.

Watch the video below from the 7th minute: