It's been raging for months, and the discussions as to whether the Black Stars bonuses be slashed continue.

The latest is that Ghana's sports minister says his outfit have not taken any decision on whether to proceed. But he's hinted the team could receive less the $10,000 usually paid.

Widespread media reports indicate that the Sports Ministry after a meeting with the Ghana FA executives last week told the FA to inform the players of their decision to pay them $5000, instead of $10,000 in subsequent games.

This brought enough consternation in the camp to the extent that forced captain Asamoah Gyan to voice his concern about the possible reduction.

“To tell you the truth I am quite upset with this,” Gyan had told Montie FM in Accra. “I think it is an issue against personalities. We as footballers should also be considered as workers and after a hard day’s work, one needs to get paid.

The skipper will lead the troops in a double header with Comoros on Friday and next week Tuesday as the World Cup qualifiers continue.

“I don’t think when I hang up my boots and fall sick I will go into the offices of a minister and say because I played for the national team he should give me money to take care of my medical expenses."

“We are not slaves so such things cannot be enforced in the manner in which I hear it is being enforced,” he added.

But the minister, Mustapha Ahmed, stated there is no law which prescribes how much the team should be paid. “I don’t think there is any law that prescribes how much should be paid to the Black Stars. It is driven by the ability to pay so when you are going through challenges, you want to look back and see if you can reason up with your partners,” said Dr Ahmed.

“There is nothing that is written or cast in stone but it is a matter of concern to us that for quite a number of months we have not been able to get the money to pay them their bonuses. So would it be fair to continue to promise them that you will get $10,000 when you are unable to pay that?”

“So that is the conversation perhaps we need to have with the GFA and the playing body but no firm decision has been taken yet.”

Public opinion continues to be split on the matter, with many feeling that the Stars' inability to win major silverware since 1982 does not help their cause.

But a section of the public also feel that constructive dialogue must be employed in dealing with the players, rather than the seeming take-it-or-leave-it arbitrary approach the government sometimes prefers.

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