Ghana veterans Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari were shockingly sent home early by coach Kwesi Appiah just a day before Ghana took on Portugal in a must-win group stage match.
According to the Ghanian FA, Boateng was sent home due to “vulgar verbal insults targeted at coach Kwesi Appiah during the team’s training session in Maceio.”
But Boateng had a different story, one that started much earlier.
In an interview with German paper Bild, Boateng called Ghana’s World Cup adventure a “nightmare from the first day of preparation to the end,” calling the organization of flights and hotels “amateurish.”
Boateng complained about sitting in coach on flights across America during their World Cup preparation, calling it a “disgrace” for a competitive athlete to have to endure such conditions.
He said they stayed in a Miami hotel that had water dripping from the ceiling and his room was “a swimming pool.”
Then, when asked about his coach Appiah, he went off. Bild asked if Boateng thought Appiah was a good coach, he simply said “no.”
“Does he have a clue of tactics” Bild asked? “No.”
He said the Ghana squad was “not a real team,” saying “everyone was busy with themselves” and claiming a few players were happy he and Muntari were sent home.
When asked about his clash with Appiah, Boateng said he was simply joking around with Muntari, but Appiah took exception to whatever he said. Boateng told reporters he was confronted by the coach and was sworn at. He also said the clash occurred on a Monday, but wasn’t suspended until a Thursday.
So…it’s hard to see Boateng coming back to the national team after this. Oh, he touched on that too.
“I love the country and the people, but under the circumstances it is hard for any athlete to continue playing.”
