World Cup Envoys Cry Foul

CK Akunnor with  his lawyer  at the commission yesterday.

Charles Kwabena Akunnor, one of Ghana's 2014 world Cup ambassadors, has described their experience in Brazil during the Mundial as harrowing.

The former Black Stars captain commended former Youth and Sports Minister Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah for roping in ex-footballers in the Brazil campaign, but pointed out that people around the Minister failed

in the execution of their assignments.
He told the World Cup Commission of Inquiry yesterday that they were denied their ambassadorial courtesies and reduced to ordinary soccer fans during their two-week stay in Brazil.

Akunnor described the situation as terrible, and revealed that it took the timely intervention of Ken-pong Travel and Tours, one of the official travel agents for the tourney, to hand them VIP tickets for the

Ghana-USA game.
'The experience was not good, we were given popular stand tickets for the first game. It took the intervention of Kenpong Travels who gave us VIP tickets for the Ghana-US game.

'We slept at the airport during the second match. It was not the best, so I for instance did not make any attempt to go for the third match. I watched it on TV,' said Akunnor.

When the commission inquired whether they (Ambassadors) had questioned why they were handed popular stand match tickets and not VIP, he answered, 'My Lord we were furious.'

Meanwhile, the former Okwawu United/Ashgold midfielder has told the commission that if indeed the Black Stars players ignored President John Mahama's phone call in Brazil regarding their financial remuneration, then they should apologize to him.

To him, the President's call alone should have settled the appearance fee tussle. Akunnor, who told the commission that they received a per diem of $200 a day for their role as ambassadors, is currently the head trainer of Dreams FC, based in Ayi-Mensah near Aburi.

Augustine Arhinful                                                                                               When Augustine Arhin-ful, also an ambassador and a former Black Stars striker took his turn, he expressed disappointment in the Brazil campaign.

His worry was about those who were tasked to perform various assign-ments in Brazil but knew nothing about football.

According to Arhinful, they (Ambassadors) were promised a 10% financial reward if they raised GH¢4.5m for the World Cup campaign, which they did, but are yet to receive their quota.

Jackie Appiah Absent
Pretty actress Jackie Appiah, also an ambassador, who was accused of a sex scandal during the World Cup period, failed to show up to give her account due to travel commitments.

By Kofi Owusu Aduonum