体坛英语新闻：Ghana FA, presidential commission tangle over World Cup cash

ACCRA, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is up in arms with the Presidential Commission investigating the country's failed World Cup campaign in Brazil over their FIFA prize money, local media reported here Monday.

Prior to the World Cup, the GFA reached an accord with government to pre-finance the Black Stars' participation in the World Cup with the agreement that it would be reimbursed when participation fees were paid by FIFA.

The government loan was used by the GFA to pay for the appearance fees for the team during the competition in Brazil which raised issues after the money failed to arrive on time.

This led to a revolt by the players who boycotted training for two days before their final group match against Portugal in Brasilia.

In line with that agreement, the FA returned an amount of over 4 million U.S. dollars to government upon receipt of the prize money.

However, the Presidential Commission issued a directive to the FA through the ministry of Youth and Sports, demanding that Ghana' s entire prize money of 8 million dollars be paid to government instead of 4 million dollars.

But the FA said in its response that the Commission had no power to demand full disbursement of the money to government.

The FA said the only agreement it had on the issue of the prize money was with government.

It said the Commission had no power to abrogate or revise and especially that government itself had not communicated to the football association its decision to recoil from its agreement with the football on any grounds upon which a contracting party may legitimately and validly exercise its right of rescission from the contract.

The letter again noted that the Commission could only play an advisory role and not arrogate to itself powers to "make orders on already existing financial agreements government has reached with the football association".

The FA maintains it is law-abiding and will respect to the fullest the laws of the country which also formed the basis upon which the Commission was constituted.

An executive committee member of the GFA has whispered to Xinhua that the association is not ready to release the full amount to the government until it receives its share of the 2010 Mundial cash.

The commission is expected to meet this week to issue another statement on the matter.