body-container-line-1

Black Stars bonuses has not been slashed, Deputy Sports Minister explains new payment regime

By ghanasoccernet.com
Sports News Black Stars bonuses has not been slashed, Deputy Sports Minister explains new payment regime
DEC 19, 2014 LISTEN

Deputy Sports Minister Vincent Oppong Asamoah insists the winning bonuses of the Black Stars has not been slashed but rather reviewed to concentrate the chunk of the earnings towards winning the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

Media reports earlier this week suggested the Black Stars' earnings for previous tournaments has been reduced to by more than half ahead of next year's tournament in Equatorial Guinea.

The reduction, many believe is in response to the uproar of Ghanaians following the debacle at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil where there was player agitation over delayed payments in promised bonuses.

But the Deputy Sports Minister explains that though the bonuses [not winning bonus] per match for the Black Stars is now pegged at $5000, each player will receive the same amount as originally budgeted for by the Ghana FA once they win the cup.

“This was a proposal that came from the ministry. We had a 3-hour meeting deliberating it and at the end, we all said we should give it a try,” Oppong Asamoah said.

“We didn't vary any figure but rather the mode of payment.

“All the amounts proposed by the Ghana FA [for the AFCON] were approved. It is the mode of payment that we shuffled but we didn't vary any figure.

“Before, they [the Black Stars] would have earned $90,000 for six games but we thought it prudent that it would be cost effective to fix a flat rate of $5000 for all the six games ($30,000 up to the finals) and top up with the $60,000 balance if the team wins the trophy.

“Financially, that is more prudent for government and for the whole nation. Previously, playing up to the semi-finals alone would have earned them $65,000 per player – which is over 70% of the entire prize money if they win the finals.

“With that, there will be no motivation for them [the Black Stars] to play to win the cup because they would have gotten almost all the budgeted bonuses even before the finals

“Now, everything has been consolidated into the payment for a win in the finals. We all aim that the Black Stars are going to take the cup so we budget based on the ultimate [trophy].

“We approved the budget figures presented by the FA but we all agreed to vary the mode of payment. It wouldn't be business as usual.”

The Deputy Sports Minister believes the new payment regime will motivate the players towards winning the ultimate at next year's finals in Equatorial Guinea.

“They should just go for the ultimate and if they do, they will get the entire amount [$90,000] eventually,” he added.

“I think this will make them strive very hard to bring us the trophy that has eluded the country.

“It is sealed there is no option to it. It is not the players that have to determine how we will pay them. They must show patriotism, win us the cup and get the prize money [$90,000].”

body-container-line