FIFA U-17 World Cup: Starlets miss $5,000 bonus each
The Black Starlets missed out on an opportunity to accumulate $5,000 winning bonus each after losing 1-2 to their Malian counterparts last Saturday.
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Prior to the tournament, there was an agreement between management and the players to pocket a cool $1,000 as bonus for each victory in the tournament.
However, sources close to the team revealed to the Graphic Sports that in order to motivate them, even after losing to the USA, the Ghanaian authorities still paid the team $3,000 for the group matches and an additional $1000 for beating Niger in the 1/16th stage of the competition.
The technical team were also expected to take home a paycheque, much higher than that received by the players, but it's unclear exactly how much they negotiated even though a source hinted this paper that the technical staff could receive a bonus in the region of $1,200 and 1,500 for each game.
The accumulated bonuses would not be handed over to them in cash in India but was to be paid directly into their bank accounts back in Ghana, according to the source.
But their defeat to the Malians meant each player would be paid $4,000 while the technical handlers and management team could also pocket between $5,000 and $6,000 each.
...And apologise for World Cup fiasco
The Black Starlets players have asked Ghanaians for forgiveness after crashing out of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup following a 1-2 loss to Mali in Guwahati last Saturday.
Skipper Eric Ayiah and goalkeeper Danlad Ibrahim in separate interviews, apologised for their quarter-final exit despite the massive support they enjoyed from Ghanaians during the tournament.
"It wasn't our wish to lose the game, we did all that we could and we saw the support the nation gave us but they should not be disappointed in us. We are sorry and we ask that they should continue to support us with their prayers," Ayiah told Graphic Sports ahead of their departure.
He said their defeat was a big shock and hit the players hard, but they would look ahead into the future to see how they would build on their career.
The forward conceded that the Malians were the better side on the day and admitted they had quality to represent the continent in the last four teams left in the competition.
"The Mali team is tough, they are good and you can see that they far ahead of us," the Ghana captain stated.
Goalkeeper Danlad also apologised for the howler that resulted in Mali’s second goal and explained that he had wanted to punch the ball away but could not get the full grasp of it because the heavy downpour rendered his gloves slippery and that allowed the ball to slip through his hands into the net.
The young goalie, who plies his trade for Kumasi Asante Kotoko, expressed his disappointment at how their dreams crashed suddenly last Saturday, as he had set a personal target to win the best goalkeeper of the competition, as well as to help improve Ghana's record.
Danlad, who had conceded just a goal into last Saturday’s all-West Africa clash, said the Starlets were going to learn important lessons from their campaign to guide them become better players in future.