A GhanaWeb feature by Frank-Kamal Acheampong
The latest pay standoff involving the Black Queens has once again revealed how slowly authorities respond to the women’s team compared to the Black Stars, even though they both represent the same flag and wear the same jersey.
Just days before their 2026 WAFCON qualifier against Egypt in Accra, the Queens boycotted training and threatened not the play the match over unpaid bonuses from the 2024 tournament in Morocco.
Each player was reportedly owed $9,500 from their 2024 WAFCON bronze medal finish, Ghana’s first football medal of any kind since the Black Stars’ AFCON silver in 2015.
It took several rounds of crisis meetings, interventions from the GFA President, Sports Minister Kofi Adams, and even calls from senior football figures, before the issue was finally settled and the players agreed to play.
Watch highlights of Black Queens’ 4-0 win over Egypt
The Queens went on to beat Egypt 4–0 in Accra, sealing a 7–0 aggregate qualification for the 2026 WAFCON, yet again proving their commitment to the national cause, even under frustration.
But this isn’t new.
In February 2024, the Queens nearly boycotted their Olympic qualifier against Zambia over similar unpaid bonuses.
They had gone through two rounds of qualifying for both the Olympics and the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations, defeating Benin, Rwanda, and Namibia, yet were still owed $7,500 each.
Their calls for payment were met with silence until the media picked it up.
Go further back to 2016, and history repeats itself. After winning gold at the 2015 All Africa Games in Congo and finishing third at the Women’s Cup of Nations in Cameroon, the Black Queens had to march to the then Ministry of Youth and Sports premises to demand their unpaid bonuses.
Jerseys still on, they stood outside the Ministry demanding what they had earned on the field.
Now in 2025, nearly a decade later, the same situation unfolds again.
The 2014 World Cup bonus saga, when Black Stars players demanded $3 million in cash before playing, remains one of the team’s biggest scandals.
But unlike the women, their grievances were met swiftly. Within hours, the money arrived in Brazil.
And even after receiving it, the Stars still lost to Portugal and exited the tournament.
The Black Queens, on the other hand, have repeatedly proved that their motivation goes beyond money. Even when owed thousands of dollars, they still stepped onto the pitch, fought and delivered.
Against Egypt, both in Cairo and in Accra, they played through frustration, uncertainty, and silence from the top, yet won both legs emphatically.
When the Black Stars face a problem, the response is immediate. From appearance fees to travel arrangements, the system springs into action almost overnight.
But when it comes to the women, their concerns linger, weeks turn into months before anyone takes notice.
And what has Ghana received in return for that urgency?
The Black Stars have cycled through coaches, endured disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaigns, suffered early World Cup exits, and recently failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, marking their first miss in 20 years.
Meanwhile, it’s the Black Queens who have quietly carried the nation’s pride, qualifying for major tournaments, winning crucial games, and bringing home Ghana’s first football medal in nearly a decade.
When the women’s team raises genuine concerns about bonuses or logistics, they should not have to threaten a boycott or make headlines before action is taken.
Because while the Black Stars command global attention, the Black Queens continue to quietly carry Ghana’s football reputation forward, often under tougher conditions and delayed appreciation.
After their 4–0 win over Egypt in Accra, Sports Minister Kofi Adams confirmed that all outstanding bonuses owed to the players have finally been paid.
Speaking to Woezor TV, he said: “Black Queens’ bonuses have been paid. The players have been given their cheques after the game against Egypt in Accra.”
The payment came only after the Queens had already done their part on the pitch.
It is a familiar pattern in Ghana football: the women deliver first, the system responds later.
FKA/JE
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