Ghana gets a million dollars for World Cup preparations

The Ghana Football Association will receive US$ 1 million from the world's football governing body, Fifa,to cover the preparation costs of the Black Stars for next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.

The Black Stars will also get US$ 8 million if they fail to progress from the Group stage of the finals which begins next June.

Ghana will get US$ 9 million if they equal the 2006 feat of progressing to the second round of the competition.

The four-time African champions will accrue US$ 20 million for a semi-finalist berth and 18 million dollars by playing in the quarter-finals.

But Milovan Rajevac and his charges will obtain US$ 30 million if they defy all odds to lift the trophy on July 31 and get US$ 24 million by placing second.

Fifa revealed a prize money for the world mundial on Thursday after its executive committee meeting at Robben Island.

Fifa's secretary general, Jérôme Valcke, said that the total prize money available to the 32 finalists would be £250m, a 61% increase on the pot for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

As well as the prize money available Valcke said that Fifa would provide £24m for clubs whose players take part in the tournament.

"Every club who has a player at the World Cup will receive £964 per day, per player," Valcke said.

"The money will be paid 15 days before the start of the tournament and to one day after the players' participation in the World Cup ends."

The money will be paid to the clubs through their national associations and as part of that package, clubs have agreed not to pursue any claims or any possible compensation through the civil courts but only go through Fifa or the Court of Arbitration for Sport.