Former Ghana international Kevin-Prince Boateng has revealed that he was forced out of the Black Stars squad during the 2014 FIFA World Cup after openly criticising football officials over issues within the team’s camp.
Speaking about the incident, Boateng explained that the entire squad met with officials ahead of their final group match against Portugal. During the meeting, he voiced his frustrations about the poor organisation and lack of proper structure throughout the tournament.
The former Schalke 04 forward added that he also confronted the officials over unpaid financial entitlements owed to the players. He urged the authorities to invest more in the team if they wanted long-term success, a move he believes led to his abrupt dismissal from the squad.
“I got kicked out of the national team and Schalke the same season because I spoke to the president about payment and organization. We had a meeting and I criticised them, arguing that they can’t treat us that way. I was requested that they should invest in the organisation and pay the players well,” he said during the Vibe with Five podcast.
Boateng further disclosed that he received a letter from the team’s officials, ordering him to leave camp during the World Cup, which ended his national team career.
“The following morning at 6 am, they put a letter under my door before the Portugal game, and they kicked me out. A German journalist called and told me I had been kicked out, and it was everywhere in the news. I refuted it earlier, but after reading the letter, I confirmed to him that I had been kicked out. I was compelled to leave the hotel within 15 minutes, and I did,” he added.
It will be recalled that the 2014 World Cup had a lot of issues regarding player bonuses, which led to confrontations between the players and team officials.
Sulley Muntari was among the players whose national team career was affected following the incident.
