Accra: Ghana's Black Queens have hit back at the Ministry of Sports and Recreation after the government rejected their claims that the team is owed outstanding bonuses and per diems. The players' fresh response comes a day after the Ministry insisted that there were no outstanding per diem obligations, saying payments had been made for the relevant periods and that signed allowance sheets had been provided as evidence.
According to Ghana Web, the players have disputed the Ministry's position, particularly its explanation of when their per diem payments became applicable. The Ministry stated that payments made on July 29 covered the period from July 26 to August 7, 2026, followed by another payment on August 11 for August 8 to 14, 2026. However, the Black Queens point out that their official camp began on July 11 and are demanding an explanation for the period between July 11 and July 25, 2026.
The players have also challenged the Ministry's assertion that there is no approved WAFCON qualification bonus. They claim that the same Ministry paid them a qualification bonus last year. They further recalled that during Sports Minister Kofi Adams' visit to their training session on July 28, 2026, they were told an accountant would bring their qualification bonuses for the Egypt matches. However, they claim the accountant arrived with only $700, which they insist was not the qualification bonus that had been communicated to them.
The Black Queens expressed their frustration with the Ministry for responding publicly without first addressing them directly, saying they had repeatedly attempted to engage officials. They emphasized that going public was not their preferred choice but became necessary after their attempts to communicate were met with continued silence. The dispute remains unresolved as Ghana prepares to face C´te d'Ivoire in a decisive World Cup qualification play-off.