Just pay the Black Queens!

We don’t seem to learn and a country that doesn’t learn is headed straight to failure. That’s painful and a pity especially considering the fact that, Ghana is blessed with enormous talents yet she faces serious management and leadership setbacks on virtually every facet of her life.

I am into sports and in this write-up my focus is on the continuing row over financial incentives for our national team players, in this case, the Black Queens. When millions of dollars were airlifted to Brazil to be shared among Black Stars players and their officials at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Ghana was mocked by Ghanaians and indeed the international community.

How the government could fly money over thousands of miles for distribution among a “rebelling national team players” at an international competition left many of us shocked. We questioned whether that was the best way to handle the Black Stars’ appearance fee row.  

Many of us remained unconvinced and not even the government under whose watch and authority the money was flown to the South American country was happy with the situation. Thus, a Presidential Commission of Inquiry was set up to investigate the disgraceful events in Brazil. The commission was to recommend lasting solutions to avert a recurrence.

The live telecast of the commission’s proceedings got the public well-informed of the messy handling of the Black Stars’ money issues in Brazil even before the commission’s report was out. The commission’s report ignited a lot of controversies as people felt that, it didn’t really establish the cause of the problem in Brazil and how to deal with it next time or avoid a repetition.

I’m in no position to comment further on the findings of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Black Stars’ participation of the 2014 FIFA World Cup but coming from how money was recently flown to the Black Stars in Rwanda, and now the raging commotion over the Black Queens’ bonuses, there are reasonable grounds to believe that, lessons haven’t been learnt relative to the management of our national team players and their bonus issues.

A report by myjoyonline.com, which quoted the Black Queens Management Committee Chairperson, Lenier Addy said the players and officials are each owed of $23,000 – not $2,000. The breakdown is as follows: “In May, long before the All Africa Games football tournament, the Queens had beaten Egypt home (3-0) and drew away (1-1) in a Rio 2016 Olympic qualifier.

Their $6,000 qualification reward has not been paid. Then there were a home-and-away victory over Zimbabwe in an All Africa Games qualifier. That $6,000 qualification reward has also not been paid. During the All Africa Games, the bonuses owed them from the group stage to the final, added up to $11,000. All this is known by the Ministry of Youth and Sports who had approved this arrangement months” the report stated.

It continued as thus: The team met the Sports Minister, Dr. Mustapha Ahmed. However, they couldn’t reach an agreement as the Black Queens for a second time running rejected the $2000. Their coach Yusif Basigi and his charges, since returning from Congo have been at the M-Plaza Hotel, Accra. Their resolve is to stay there until their monies are paid.

The Queens have threatened to go on demonstration to demand their money. Beyond that, Lenier Addy doesn’t see the future of women’s football well as a result of this bonus row. “The Queens don’t earn salaries at their clubs because we don’t have sponsors for our league. They play with the motivation of making it to the senior national team where they can get something to better their lives. What happens after football if they are treated like this? If this problem isn’t solved it is going to kill women’s football in our country” she said.

My take: Already, women’s football is in bad shape. If it risks having more difficulties, all I can say is that, women’s football surely has no good future. For me, the issue, as it was in the case of the Black Stars in Brazil, isn’t about money. It’s basically about the management of affairs which has been poor. Those tasked with properly ensuring that, our national team players earn what they are due without acrimony have failed Ghana. That is a big shame.