Cameroon and Ghana launch inquiries after dismal World Cup eliminations

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/29/cameroon-ghana-world-cup-eliminations-presidents

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The presidents of Cameroon and Ghana have called for investigations after both countries were eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup. In Cameroon, President Paul Biya was reported to have given his prime minister a month to submit a report on the Indomitable Lions' "inglorious campaign".

The Ghanaian president, John Mahama, said an investigation was needed into why Ghana failed to advance to the knockout rounds for the first time in three World Cup appearances, according to the state-run Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. Mahama has already sacked the country's sports minister and his deputy.

Both teams were at the bottom of their groups. For Cameroon, the trouble began before the tournament when players refused to board their chartered plane to Brazil until a dispute over bonuses was resolved. The national football federation said it had to take out a "private loan" to meet player demands, increasing the sum given to each squad member by $12,000. The total bonus was not disclosed.

In three games, Cameroon conceded nine goals and scored just one against Brazil after they had already been eliminated. Towards the end of a 4-0 defeat against Croatia, defender Benoît Assou-Ekotto thrust his head into the face of team-mate Benjamin Moukandjo and the pair scuffled in front of their goal before being separated by another Cameroon player.

Earlier in that match, midfielder Alex Song was sent off for elbowing Croatia's Mario Mandzukic in the back in an egregious off-the-ball incident that has inspired a new song from Cameroonian rapper Maahlox Le Vibeur, complete with an elbow-jab dance move.

The national football federation derided the players' "disgraceful behaviour".

After the team were eliminated, local media began calling for sanctions. The tabloid newspaper La Meteo ran a front-page headline of All Guilty under pictures of the sports minister, Adoum Garoua; the coach, Volker Finke; and the captain, Samuel Eto'o.

Ghana's Black Stars also had disciplinary problems. Two players were thrown out of the squad hours before their final match against Portugal. Sulley Muntari was suspended for allegedly attacking a team official and an executive committee member of the national football association, and Kevin-Prince Boateng was suspended for alleged "vulgar verbal insults targeted at coach Kwesi Appiah".

The suspensions came just after Ghana resolved its own dispute over bonus payments when the government chartered a jet to fly $3m (£1.7m) in cash to players in Brazil.