Ghana’s row over World Cup bonuses which led to the government to fly $3m (£1.75m) in cash to Brazil is in the early stages of production, it has been confirmed.
The Black Stars squad threatened to go on strike over the non-payment of bonuses agreed the tournament before the personal intervention of president John Dramani Mahama, with former coach Kwesi Appiah revealing that some of his players kept their $100,000 share (£61,000) in their backpacks in the dressing room while they were playing their Group G game against Portugal in Brasília.
As reported by the Guardian in June, the story attracted the attention of US writer Darryl Wharton-Rigby and the former staff writer for US TV series Homicide: Life on the Street confirmed this week that he has been hired by Bugeater Films to write a preliminary script.
“Football and the players needing the money is kind of the backdrop to the story,” Wharton-Rigby told the BBC.
“But it’s really about the journey of the guy who actually is entrusted to deliver the money and what happens if he doesn’t get it there in time.
“I actually want the guy who’s the hero of the story to be from Ghana. I think there should be a hero who is African telling the story.
“I saw footage of the police cars taking the money on the highway and you can just see that scene playing out in your mind with someone like Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson as the guy having to save the day. You can see all kinds of mayhem happening on the highway.”
He added: “It’s 50-50 as to whether it will get made, we’re still at the early stages so we’re going to take it one step at a time. Hopefully we can write a great script and get someone who is attached to it.
“It’s a fascinating story and I think audiences internationally would really take to it. I can see the poster now; lots of soccer balls, a stadium and a guy on the run.”
Appiah’s revelations came at the presidential inquiry into Ghana’s disastrous World Cup campaign last month. The coach was relieved of his post in the aftermath of the tournament, which saw his side eliminated in the group stages.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) issued a shortlist of five names last week which it said are in the frame to succeed Appiah, with former Chelsea manager Avram Grant joined by Patrick Kluivert, Michel Pont, Marco Tardelli and Juan Ignacio Martinez.
However Kluivert – the former Holland striker who was an assistant to Louis van Gaal at the World Cup – has now withdrawn from the race, according to his agent Rob Jansen.
“Patrick has no interest in this position now. He wants at this stage to focus on a club and not a country job,” Jansen told Ghanaian website allsports.com.
“He would rather wait until a proper offer from a club in Europe comes along.”
