A member of the management committee of the 2009 World Cup-winning Black Satellites has dismissed reports that they also benefited from the package promised the entire team.
Lawyer Kwame Ntow Fianko says it was only the chairman of the committee, Jordan Anagbla, who was presented with a Toyota vehicle. Mr Anagbla passed on in 2014.
“For the Management Committee, apart from Jordan [Anagbla] who was given a Toyota, that he took home with me in it, not even pure water was to given us,” he revealed on Maakye Sports on Onua TV on Friday, October 18.
He added that the team was specially invited by Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara after that triumph and during a ceremony to honour them all at the Houphouet Boigny Hall, two more members of the technical team – the Team Manager and the Equipment Officer – were given Kia Picanto cars.
“When an NDC official was asked about the management committee members he said nobody had made provision for us,” he further revealed.
This comes after 15 years since the team beat Brazil in the final in Cairo to win Africa’s first and only trophy in the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Reports then suggested that each management member took home a car and $5,000.
A 15-year investment was also made for the players, who were then under 20 years.
The veteran football administrator said none of the members aside the late chairman was given anything. Only two members of the committee are alive.
Lawyer Ntow Fianko said he had been a management committee member of the team since 2004 before that shattering feat but nothing was given to him and he has no problems with that.
“Even I expected that they gave us Pure Water to say thank you but nothing was given us and so it is very bad for people to say we were given $5,000.”
He only demanded that the truth be told about the whole story.
He, however, confirmed that the players were given cars with Agyemang-Badu’s driven by him home for the then young midfielder.
Source:onuaonline.com