Cash-filled plane flown to Brazil to pay Ghana players

Ghana's government has dispatched a plane with more than £1.7m in cash to Brazil to pay their World Cup squad.

The country's president John Dramani Mahama intervened after "agitation from the Black Stars players over their appearance fees for the World Cup", according to a Ghana FA statement.

In addition, the West African country's deputy sports minister Joseph Yammin, is quoted by Bloomberg as saying that the players "insisted that they want physical cash", meaning that the government had to "mobilise the money and a chartered flight to Brazil".

Ghana, who take on Portugal tomorrow in Brasilia, are currently third in Group G.