After several weeks of delay, the Ministry of Youth and Sports last Saturday released the winning bonuses for the Black Stars players for their 7-1 win over Mauritius in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Accra Sports Stadium.
However, head coach Avram Grant and his assistants were conspicuously left out of the booty.
The players received the package soon after their 1-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali in their group qualifier, but there was no bonus paid for last Saturday’s win at the Amahoro Stadium.
The payment of the outstanding bonus was held up since June this year as the ministry pondered over a White Paper recommendation that the Stars $10,000 winning bonus should be slashed by half.
However, according to Graphic Sports sources, the ministry in a dramatic twist released $10,000 each in cash to the players but stated that there was no money to be paid as bonus for the win over the Amajitas.
The source revealed that Grant and his technical team, comprising Maxwell Konadu (assistant coach), Nasamu Yakubu (goalkeepers’ trainer), Sabahn Quaye (welfare officer), Professor Joseph Mintah (team psychologist) and Dr Adam Baba (team physician), as well as other officials serving in management capacity, were not paid and uncertain when they would receive their money.
According to a source, the officials were left out of the payment because of budgetary constraints as the ministry was still involved with the financing of the over 300 athletes at the All Africa Games in Brazzaville, Congo.
The deferment of payment leaves the bonuses for the win over Rwanda outstanding, an unusual trend in the management of a team used to instant payment of bonuses.
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