Ghana Football Association Executive Council member, Gifty Oware-Mensah, has raised eyebrows by offering a surprising justification for the preferential treatment given to the senior national men's football team, the Black Stars, in contrast to the senior women's team, the Black Queens.
Read full articleCurrently, the Black Queens are grappling with outstanding bonuses amounting to $7,500 per player, even after a 50% reduction, from their qualification games for both the African Women’s Cup of Nations and the 2024 Olympic Games.
Reports suggest that the players are considering boycotting the final Olympic qualifier against Zambia on February 23 if their bonuses remain unpaid.
In stark contrast, the Black Stars had their bonuses settled even before their participation in the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, despite their early exit from the tournament.
In an exclusive interview with Joy Sports, Gifty Oware-Mensah, who also serves as the Chairperson for the Black Queens Management Committee, downplayed the concerns surrounding the women's team's unpaid bonuses.
She defended the preferential treatment for the Black Stars, stating, "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."
Oware-Mensah acknowledged the disproportionate affection and attention the male team receives, attributing it to the team's global popularity.
"The male team is the one that dominates the love and affection from the country. I find it quite worrying when I see people try to compare their treatment vis a vis the women’s team."
"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 said.
She emphasised the need for patriotism and suggested that wearing the national jersey should be primarily motivated by love for the country, despite the unequal treatment between the male and female national teams.
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Gifty Oware-Mensah