Grant scared of bonus issues

Black Stars coach Avram Grant has called for a permanent solution to the team’s bonus row.

To him, failure to address the situation could plunge the team into ‘confusion’ as well as breed what accounted for the Brazil 2014 disaster.

The Black Stars players left the country for Comoros uncertain about the financial benefits of today’s 2018 World Cup qualifier following moves by the Youth and Sports Ministry to slash their winning bonus.

And even though Grant appears comfortable now with the commitment of his players, he expressed the desire to have the issue resolved to avoid yet another public ridicule.

He said in an interview: “The word ‘worried is not the right word but I came here to set new standards after what happened at the World Cup,” he told reporters after Wednesday’s final training session at the Accra Stadium.

“All I want is to prepare the team like any normal country but I don’t think this has happened now.

“It again reminds me of what happened at the World Cup. Remember that in the African Cup I cannot say the organization was 100% but the players focused on the football like any normal country.

“I didn’t come here to say this is his fault because I know the national team in Ghana is to point the finger to say this is his fault. I want to find a solution.

“My way is to find a solution and not to blame anybody so I hope they find a solution because one of the things everybody knows around the world now is the pressure is on the players so we need to give them the quiet.

“And let us face the facts. The fact is that since I arrived you cannot complain about one player who didn’t give his 100%. The result is good, the atmosphere is good, the players are improving and we want to continue like this.”

The former Chelsea manager added: “We need to be professional off the pitch and I hope that we find a solution for this.”