Black Stars midfielder, Micahel Essien, has denied refusing to warm-up when ahead of the Ghana-Portugal final Group G match at the World Cup in Brazil.
Former Black Stars coach, Kwasi Appiah,announced he had sidelined Essien from the national team because he refused to warm-up before the Portugal game.
But speaking via Skype to the Dzamefe Commission, which is investigating Ghana's participation at the World Cup, Essien denied that he refused to warm-up, stressing that as far as he was concerned, substitutes were not required to warm-up before a match.
This, he said, was because substitutes could warm-up just before they were introduced into a game.
Essien added that contrary to popular opinion, coach Appiah never lost control of the dressing room at Brazil 2014 as players supported him and obeyed his instructions.
Touching on the appearance fee row that characterised Ghana's World Cup campaign, Essien said the Black Stars were angry at failed promises by officials of the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
He, however, assured that the players play for pride and not money.
Essien also took the opportunity to stress his commitment to the national cause, saying that representing Ghana for well over a decade has often come at great expense to himself, citing some nine surgeries as proof of his claim.
Essien is the second member of Ghana's 23-man Brazil 2014 squad to make an 'appearance' before the panel, after skipper Asamoah Gyan.
Other players Sulley Muntari, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Harrison Afful, Kwadwo Asamoah and John Boye would be heard by the Justice Dzamefe-led Commission of Inquiry in due course.
Three home-based players Stephen Adams, Fatau Dauda and Rashid Sumaila are scheduled to appear before the Commission Tuesday.
