Accra: The Ministry of Sports and Recreation has strongly rejected claims by the Black Queens that the government owes them outstanding per diems and bonuses, asserting that signed payment records show the players have received all per diems due to them. The rebuttal follows a joint statement from the players on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, in which they demanded outstanding financial entitlements, including per diems for the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations, bonuses for qualifying for the tournament, and a bonus for progressing from the group stage.
According to Ghana Web, the Ministry stated that the players and eligible officials received their per diems in advance on July 29, covering July 26 to August 7, 2026. Following Ghana's quarter-final exit and the team's continued stay in Morocco for the World Cup play-off pathway, another payment was made on August 11 to cover August 8 to 14, 2026. The Ministry highlighted that the payments were acknowledged individually by recipients through signed allowance sheets, copies of which it attached to its statement.
The Ministry emphasized that the documents were provided 'in the interest of transparency and to place the facts on record', insisting that as of August 12, 2026, the government had no outstanding per diem obligation to the Black Queens. On bonuses, the Ministry acknowledged that the players earned a winning bonus for beating Cape Verde but stated it is still being processed and will be paid directly into the beneficiaries' bank accounts.
Additionally, the Ministry rejected claims of an unpaid WAFCON qualification bonus, explaining that qualification through the home-and-away round does not attract a separate government bonus under the current financing framework. The Ministry added that there was no government approval for the payment of winning bonuses for the WAFCON qualifying matches against Egypt.
The government further defended its welfare arrangements, highlighting the team's medical, nutritional, administrative, and technical support structure. The contrasting statements from the players and the government have now raised questions over the exact nature of the outstanding payments being disputed, as Ghana prepares for its decisive World Cup play-off against C´te d'Ivoire on Thursday, August 13, 2026.