Black Queens bonus saga: Black Stars is our priority

An Executive Council member of the GFA, Gifty Oware-Mensah has said the comparison between the Black Queens and the Black Stars is a non-starter. In an interview with Joy Sports, Gifty Oware noted that the Black Stars are the ‘foremost product’ of the GFA thus how it is treated should be considered differently.

Gifty Oware-Mensah was responding to questions about the unpaid bonus saga of the Black Queens. The senior female national team is due to face off against Zambia on Friday in an Olympic Games qualifier. Ahead of the match, reports have emerged that the team has been owed outstanding bonuses dating back to September 2023. The bonuses cover three qualification matches.

According to Sports Journalist Saddick Adams, “The Black Queens bonuses has been in arrears since September 2023. The total arrears for three qualifications (six games) is around $180,000 for the entire team.”

However, in her response to a Joy Sports question, Gifty Oware-Mensah downplayed the situation.

“The Ghana Football Association sells brands and products. Our foremost product is the Black Stars, and this spans across the world, not just in Ghana,” she explained.

“The male team is the one that dominates the love and affection from the country,” she argued. Adding, “I find it quite worrying when I see people try to compare their treatment vis a vis the women’s team”.

According to Gifty Oware-Mensah, the Sports Ministry has made promises that the bonuses will be cleared before the next match. She added that the female U-20 team that is currently preparing for the All African Games next month will also get their bonuses cleared.

“They have made promises to us that we’re going to get this money before we go into our next match. The Princesses will get theirs before the African Games which I think is what we should believe.”

Madam Gifty also argued that patriotism should be the first reason why players wear the national team jersey, not money.

“They say half a loaf is better than none, and the beauty of it is that the first reason anyone should have to wear the national jersey is because of patriotism,” she stated.