There we were thinking the whole Saipan thing was about as dysfunctional as a World Cup campaign could get. Then Ghana came along and ruined our reputation.
First there were some match fixing allegations, then $3 million in a plane, then two of their most recognisable players were sent home and finally there was that incredible picture of John Boye kissing his share of said $3 million.
By all accounts, that hasn't gone down too well back home. Ghanaians are a proud bunch, never more so than when the 'Black Stars' are in action, so when the World Cup campaign went tits up, they weren't happy. Enter Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama to calm everyone down.
Could you imagine a 2002 era Mary McAleese sitting back in a polo shirt and jeans addressing the nation in an attempt to calm us all down. The folks in Ghana really know how to do a football scandal. All we had was Roy Keane walking his dog for a couple of weeks.
Mahama also spoke to Boomberg in an effort to explain what went on:
There was a problem with the initial mode of transportation for the payment and so we made other arrangements that, while unconventional, were necessary.
I don’t think you can place that many human beings together in a team, all of them stars in their own right, and not have some measure of ego display and some amount of discord.
So professional footballers acted in self interest. All in all we're none the wiser.
