Gifty Oware-Mensah, an Executive Council member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has stirred controversy by defending the preferential treatment afforded to the senior men's national team, the Black Stars, over other national teams, notably the Black Queens.
Currently, the Black Queens, Ghana's senior women's national team, are grappling with unpaid bonuses from their qualification matches for both the African Women’s Cup of Nations and the 2024 Olympic Games.
Each player is reportedly owed $7,500, despite enduring a 50% reduction in their bonuses.
Amid reports of players considering boycotting the final Olympic qualifier against Zambia on February 23 due to the unpaid bonuses, Oware-Mensah made startling remarks in an interview with Joy Sports.
"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," she stated.
Despite acknowledging the discrepancy, Oware-Mensah invoked a proverb, stating, "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."