Ghana’s Black Queens players have responded to the Ministry of Sports’ statement on their concerns, demanding clarity over unpaid per diems, qualification bonuses and the government’s financial support for the national team.
In a fresh statement dated August 13, the players said they were disappointed that the Ministry issued a public response to their concerns without first engaging them directly.
The players said they had made repeated attempts to contact the Ministry but received no acknowledgement, clear update or meaningful communication regarding the issues they had raised.
They explained that going public was not their preferred option and was only considered after their attempts to resolve the matter privately were met with continued silence.
“We are not trying to create conflict. We are simply asking for basic communication, respect, transparency and accountability from those responsible for supporting the Black Queens,” the players stated.
Per diems
One of the major issues raised by the players concerns the payment of their per diems.
The Black Queens said they officially began their camp on July 11 and questioned why payments were not made from the beginning of their official duties.
They said the Ministry’s reference to payments beginning on July 26 did not account for the period between July 11 and July 25.
“Our official duties began on 11 July. We believe this period should also be accounted for and clarified,” the players said.
Qualification and winning bonuses
The players also challenged the Ministry’s position regarding qualification bonuses.
They said the same Minister and Ministry paid them a qualification bonus the previous year, making them surprised by the current position that there is no qualification bonus under the existing framework.
The players further cited an incident on July 28, when the Sports Minister visited their training session and informed them that the accountant would bring their qualification bonuses for the Egypt matches.
According to the players, the Minister brought only $700, an amount they said did not correspond with the qualification bonus that had been communicated to them.
They said they were seeking clarity and consistency regarding the financial commitments made to the team.
Black Queens demand clarity on dedicated budget
The players have also questioned whether a dedicated budget has ever been allocated specifically to the Black Queens.
“We also ask: when was the first dedicated budget allocated specifically to the Black Queens?” they asked.
They said they were not demanding special treatment but better treatment, arguing that the players who represent Ghana deserve respect, transparency and proper institutional support.
The latest response follows the players’ earlier statement in which they raised concerns over outstanding bonuses, per diems, management support, mental health and well-being.
They also complained about limited government presence around the team during the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, noting that the Sports Minister Kofi Adams and GFA President Kurt Okraku attended their first official training session but that government presence was limited afterwards.
The players stressed that their intention was not to create conflict and said they would have preferred the issues to be resolved privately had the Ministry engaged them.
They are now calling for direct engagement with the relevant authorities to address the outstanding financial and welfare concerns.
“We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for better treatment. We represent Ghana and deserve respect, transparency and proper support,” the players said.