Ghana in disarray with Muntari and Boateng sent home

Ghana, 5/1 to qualify from World Cup Group G, have sent midfielders Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng home from the Brazil finals for severe breaches of discipline.

The Black Stars face a crunch clash with Portugal and need a win, plus Germany beating the USA, to progress to the knockout phase, but must earn victory without either of this experienced pair.

Ghanaian FA statements confirmed the suspensions of both Muntari and Boateng. Both played Premier League football for Portsmouth, but were more recently teammates together at AC Milan.

Muntari reportedly launched an “unprovoked physical attack on an executive committee member”, while Boateng is said to have hurled “vulgar verbal insults at coach Kwesi Appiah during the team’s training session in Maceio”.

Moses Armah, a member of team management on the Black Stars backroom staff, is Muntari’s victim, with the statement adding this incident occurred on 24th June. Boateng, meanwhile, who was born in Germany, but his father is Ghanaian, “showed no remorse for his actions”.

Appiah’s outfit are now in disarray, with stories emerging the players threatened to boycott playing Portugal unless they were paid bonuses. Around £1.8m has been sent by Ghana’s government to Brazil in an attempt to smooth the row over – the second such one involving an African nation surrounding this World Cup.

Cameroon’s squad reportedly refused to board their plane to Brazil before the tournament without guaranteed bonus payments. The Indomitable Lions subsequently finished bottom of Group A with zero points, and there was visible in-fighting on the pitch between players.

Portugal are now odds-on 19/20 favourites to win their Group G game with Ghana. Paulo Bento’s boys also need Germany to do them a favour by defeating the USA, and then beat the Black Stars, but there must also be a five-goal swing. Back the Navigators to win and Cristiano Ronaldo to score anytime in Coral’s maximum stake £20 special at enhanced odds of 9/4.