Brazil 2014 fallout: Nigeria, others get FIFA’s financial windfall

The World soccer ruling body, FIFA has commenced payment of participation money to the 32 finalists that graced the Brazil 2014 World Cup held in June.

Nigeria by virtue of her second round finish will receive the sum of $8m (about N1.2bn)  same as Cote d’ Ivoire and Ghana. In fact, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) revealed on Thursday that it has received all the monies from FIFA for the Black Stars participation in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil in June as its prize money, ending months of expectations from the public.

The amount expected to have been received from the world governing body is expected to be about $8m but deductions from FIFA could drop the figure to a lower amount.

According to the GFA, “FIFA has now paid the GFA for the Black Stars participation in the tournament,” the GFA said in a press statement released on Thursday morning.

The arrival of the money is something that will delight the public knowing that the GFA will refund all the monies spent by government on the team during the competition in Brazil. Government agreed to part with $3.8m as a loan to the GFA to help pay for the appearance fees for the Black Stars during the competition in Brazil which raised issues after failure of the money to arrive in time.

This led to a revolt by the players leading them to boycott training two days before their final group match against Portugal in Brasilia.

The loan was government only contribution to the team but the delay and failed promises of the arrival of the money led to chaos in camp which eventually led to the sacking of Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng from the camp of the Black Stars.

FIFA has revealed it was ready to pay Ghana’s players their World Cup bonuses directly and deduct it from the GFA’s prize money. After Ghana’s players boycotted training in protest at not receiving their money, the country’s government flew $3.8m in cash to Brazil.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke described the situation as sad.

“The players have the right to receive their money but it would be much easier to do this by bank transfer,” he said. “The fact that the money came in cash is also sad because I was ready to sign a letter, as long as I had a copy of the agreement between the national association and the players, that the money would be paid by FIFA by bank transfer into their personal accounts. FIFA would have made sure to deduct the players’ money from the prize money paid to the national association.”

Ghana went home early from the competition in Brazil, having been eliminated from the tournament at the group stage.

The Sun