The Ghana Football Association has poured cold water on a newspaper publication claiming they bribed referees in their 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign.

The federation sees it at as a calculated attempt to tarnish their image.

They have also not ruled out the possibility taking legal action against the paper.

A statement on the Ghana FA website read: "The Ghana Football Association (GFA)’s attention has been drawn to a publication by the Ghana Sports Newspaper on Monday, 18th July, 2016, suggesting that Ghana bribed its way to secure qualification for the 2014 World Cup.

"We wish to state emphatically state that the report is palpably false and that the GFA or the Government of Ghana does not have budgets for bribes or condone bribery in any form.

"Such utterly wrong suggestion denigrates the hardwork and achievements of the Black Stars players culminating in the historic and indisputable 7-3 aggregate victory over Egypt that secured Ghana’s place at the World Cup.

"The Black Stars players, technical team and management worked hard to secure Ghana’s place at the World Cup and as always we will continue to win our matches through fair means.

"While urging the media to be responsible in their reportage, we will not hesitate to use the right legal channels available to us to seek redress over such false reports in future."