Sports Journalist, Kelvin Owusu Ansah has described a senseless $30,000 motivation money (qualification bonus) for each player of the Ghana national team, Black Stars if they qualify for the round 16 stage of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Ivory Coast.
Ghana Black Stars is facing their counterpart Mozambique at Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast today, January 22, 2024 at 8pm.
According to a report, Black Stars players will receive $30,000 each to motivate them in their next stage of the tournament.
Speaking on TV3 Newday programme, Owusu Ansah stated that the players have done nothing to deserve such a huge sum of money.
“South Africa have told their team it is either you win the cup and get the $7m dollars or nothing, so even if you get to the final and you are not able to win the trophy, you will not get anything. You have been catered for by the team everything, medically , you have been given your per diems so why is it that you can not perform and we will have to give you appearance fees or bonuses. As it stands now they said something called qualification bonus, if the Black Stars qualify today they are getting $30,000 each.” He said.
“Initially it was to win a game and get $10,dollars each, right now it is a qualification bonus if they win today and they are qualified it means they are gettig $30,000 each. Meanwhile, they won just a game, ask yourself does it make any sense that Ghana played against Cape Verde, played against Egypt and Mozambique and then they manage to progress so they are given players $30,000 for what they sought for work done? Kelvin Owusu quizzed.
According to him, the players should see it as a service for the country and not demanding this huge amount of money.
“These are the players who are playing at the top level and this is the service to the nation they need to prove their work”
He lamented over the abysmal performance of the players. He indicated that the players are not committed to playing for the national team.
“You see the life of Ronaldo even at this AFCON, Haki and the likes, we have Malice when you have substituted off or he is playing and his team is struggling you see that energy, even Onana that we raised questions about his commitment to the nation, in their game that they lost t0 Senegal, you could see he was eager to get the results, do you see the same energy in our players apart from a few like Andre and let say Djiku and a couple of others. The rest you don’t see in them, I think the entire national team culture should change and it starts from the scratch, let’s build it from the basis” He admonished.
The senior National Team of Ghana suffered a 2-1 defeat to Cape Verde in their first match of the AFCON and secured a 2-2 draw during the match between Ghana and Egypt at Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on January 18, 2024.
Black Stars, who have one point after two matches, need a victory over Mozambique in their final Group B match to leave them on four points.
Ghana can qualify from group-stage to the next level unless they manage to beat Mozambique in today’s match and Egypt lose or secure a draw with Cape Verde.
Cape Verde is leading with six points in group B followed by Egypt with two points.
Ghana and Mozambique have one point each in the group.
Many Ghanaians have lost hope in the Black Stars in their performance in th 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
Source: Elvisanokyenews.com
