Black Meteors forward Zubairu Ibrahim has stated that the team were not chasing for money but only sought for what they were entitled to during the U-23 Arica Cup of Nations campaign.
The team which disappointedly bowed out of the concluded U-23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has been accused of being ‘greedy and unpatriotic,’ with reports claiming that they vowed not to play until their outstanding incentives were paid.
Their performance was clearly an inferior version of what they demonstrated during the qualifiers, as they only managed to win one game against Congo while falling badly to Morocco and drawing with Guinea.
Speaking after their exit, Zubairu said the players were solely concerned about the delayed bonuses that had been owed for more than three months. As a result of their victory over Algeria in March, when they played their final round of qualifiers and won.
“We are not chasing for money. We are just asking about our bonuses against Algeria which we played I think three months ago. That’s what we talked about and not any other money. What belongs to you is always yours.
“It belongs to us so we have to… and It wasn’t just one player. It was a collective decision to ask whether the bonuses that were promised before the Algeria game were ready,” he told 3Sports.
He however urged Ghanaians not to drop their hopes in the national teams despite their dismal show.
“There should continue to have confidence in the young teams. Even though we couldn’t make it, our U-20s are also playing and will need the support.
