By Ameenu Shardow
Former Ghana no.1 goalkeeper Richard Kingson has made an astonishing revelation he rejected a $300,000 bribe to throw the game to Czech Republic at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Ghana making its maiden appearance at the World Cup had lost its opening group game to Italy while Czech Republic were 3-0 victors over USA in their opening fixture.
This made both teams desperate for wins in their second group game especially Ghana in order to stay in the competition.
And Kingson who was then very key to the Black Stars in a confession at the Synagogue Church led by controvercial Nigerian Pastor T.B Joshua made the shocking revelation in an attempt to dismiss allegations his wife was a witch.
“This woman over here (referring to wife) is a woman who onetime took a shame that was coming to Ghanaians. This is a top secret I have hidden under my pillow and today I just want to reveal it to the Ghanaians especially to the media,†the 34-year-old said on Emmanuel TV over the weekend.
“In 2006 World Cup in Germany we were about to play Czech Republic. By then they were the second best in the World and they had lost one game already.
“So a Ghanaian led me to some people to take a bribe and it was this woman (referring to wife) who delivered me and delivered Ghanaians.
“I was very confused and I didn’t know what to do but very luckily she was there with me so I called her and told her: ‘my wife, this is what has happened, I don’t know what to do’.
“And the money was US$300,000. And if we won the game, we were going to receive 3000 or 10,000, but if we lost the game by 2-0, I was going to take $300,000.
“So before the game I was confused and I called this beautiful lady, my wife and asked her what do I do?
“And she told me she loved me not because of my money but for who I am and that I should reject that money.
“So I don’t know why people are now calling her a witch after saving me from such shame. She is not a witch and I love her.â€
Ghana subsequently beat Czech Republic 2-0 and qualified to the last 16 after beating 2-1 with USA in the final group game.
The Black Stars were however unlucky not to have progressed further as they were beaten by giants Brazil 3-0 despite having the lions share of possession.