Gifty Oware-Mensah, Chairperson of the Black Queens Management Committee, has addressed criticisms following her remarks regarding the team’s unpaid bonuses. The Berry Ladies FC bankroller asserted that her comments were misconstrued and taken out of context.
The controversy arose as the Black Queens, led by Nora Hauptle, have yet to receive their owed bonuses totaling $7,500 per player for the last three qualifiers across various competitions.
In an interview with Joy Sports, Oware-Mensah stated, “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. 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-à-vis the women’s team.”
She further added, “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.”
However, in response to a viral video amid Black Queens players threatening to boycott their third-round Olympic Games qualifier against Zambia, Oware-Mensah, who is also a Ghana Football Association Executive Committee member, clarified that her response was misrepresented.
In her statement, she reiterated her respect for the Black Queens and dismissed allegations of disrespecting the team’s efforts.
