Supreme Court nominee Justice Senyo Dzamefe has described the airlifting of cash to Brazil during the 2014 FIFA World Cup as one of the most embarrassing moments in Ghana’s football history.
Speaking before Parliament’s Appointments Committee during his vetting, Justice Dzamefe revisited Ghana’s controversial campaign at the tournament and the work of the Commission of Enquiry he chaired, which was set up by then-President John Dramani Mahama.
The Commission was mandated to investigate Ghana’s disappointing performance in Brazil and the public uproar over financial mismanagement—especially the decision to send physical cash to pay player bonuses.
“We said players should not be paid cash. We all saw what happened in Brazil when we had to fly money to Brazil for payment. It was one bad thing for Ghana,” Justice Dzamefe said during the vetting.
He noted that while some of the Commission’s recommendations have been implemented, others remain unaddressed. Notably, he cited the continued use of public funds to sponsor supporters’ travel to international tournaments.
According to him, the Commission had recommended that government support should rather target Ghanaian fans already living in the host countries, by providing them with match tickets.
Justice Dzamefe also stressed the importance of early planning and budgeting ahead of major tournaments, warning that the state must act proactively to avoid repeating past mistakes.
“We recommended that the state should know far ahead of time so that they can prepare,” he added.
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