World Cup Goalkeeper Buys House With Bonus

The Ghanaian World Cup 2014 goalkeeper, Fatau Abdul Dauda (29), has put his match bonus earnings of $100,000 into a very good use, by buying a house with it.

Dauda who plys his club football with the South African clubside - Orlando Pirates revealed this information to the Sport File programme of Metro TV.

''I know people will say we got $100,000. I came home (from Brazil) on a Sunday (June 29th), and rested until Wednesday (July 2nd), when I went to buy a house, so that I know that I used the money that I got for something reasonable,'' Dauda said.

''Because I couldn't win (a single game at the World Cup to get a winning bonus), I went there (Barclays Bank) to withdraw money, and not to deposit money,'' the goalkeeper said.

Fatau Abdul Dauda

During the World Cup tournament in Brazil, the Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, refused to play their last group game against Portugal, unless their football association first pay them their match bonuses. Read also. melvinsports.blogspot.com

So to avert a huge embarassment to the nation, the government had to airlift the sum of $3m, to pay the players their bonuses. The players then went on and played the match against Portugal and lost 2 - 1.

The team played three matches, but did not win any of them. In their first match against USA they lost it 2 - 1, and in their second match against the eventual World Cup champions - Germany, they drew it 2 - 2.

In 2010 the team reached quarter final in South Africa, but in this year's tournament, they did not even go through in the group phase, and that has raised a some questions from many football fans in the country.

Two major questions people are asking especially after the bonus issue are:
(a) How dedicated are the Black Star players to the team?
(b) What are the plans of the GFA (Ghana Football Association), in order to make sure that the issue of players bonus, does not come up again in any international game or tournament.

The issue of match bonus not being paid on time, is not limited only to Ghana. It happened with the Cameroon and Nigeria teams respectively. But not only these teams, many other African teams, have the same problems with their Football Associations.

I have noticed that this money issue, is gradually becoming very endemic to the African teams. In fact it is peculiar to black African teams. One has never heard of a situation, where the North African teams, where protesting for non payment of their bonus.

It is the right of the players to be promptly paid after matches, and not to have to wait for ages to be paid. One can understand why, players have resorted to demanding payment after matches.

In some instances, some of the Football Associations owe their players bonuses for many months, until another match comes up, which is not a moral boaster, as many of them have families they take care of with money.

Owing players bonus money is not in the interest of any nation. When players are owed money, it contributes to good players being reluctant to answer to national duties.

Apart from the bonus issue, some players when they come to national duties they got injuries and go back to their clubs, where they will receive adequate treatment.

But it is encombent on their FAs to follow it up and check on the players, and their injuries and encourage them, so that next time they will be happy to come and give 100% performance, without the fear of sustaining injury.
Read also. melvinsports.blogspot.com