Black Queens bonus saga shows GFA helps to diffuse tension with players - Sannie Daara

Published on: 01 October 2015
Black Queens bonus saga shows GFA helps to diffuse tension with players - Sannie Daara
The Black Queens caused the President to intervene in the bonuses matter

The Ghana FA (GFA) says the stand-off between the Black Queens and the Sports Ministry has highlighted the good work of the federation in preventing public rows between players and government over delayed bonuses.

The GFA insists the public humiliation the country faced during the 2014 World Cup over the delayed bonuses of the Black Stars was not caused by the federation as it rigorously defended government.

Yet some members of government blamed the GFA when the players boycotted training sessions at the tournament in Brazil even though the ministry failed to honour its promises of paying the players.

The GFA believes that the situation has given the nation the opportunity to see how difficult it is to negotiate with players for the bonuses.

Players of the Black Queens, who won the gold medal at the recent All African Games in Congo refused to leave their team until in Accra until all their outstanding bonuses were paid.

It took the intervention of President, John Dramani Mahama to calm their nerves after they were paid $5,000 with the promise that the remainder would be paid at a later date.

Director of Communications of the GFA, Ibrahim Sannie Daara, says the gridlock between the Black Queens and the Sports Ministry highlights the good work the GFA has done over the years in relation to player bonuses.

"This episode brings to light what has been happening all along that the Ghana Football Association has been playing a very good role between government, national team players and the Ministry in trying to solve problems before they arise," Sannie Daara told Citi FM

"The same happened at the World Cup where we stood in the middle and we tried to fight the corner of the government and the Sports Ministry.

"In the end, we were accused falsely. Today we can see that it has happened again and this is what you get when the GFA is kept out of the loop.

"I hope that this will help people will appreciate what the GFA has done consistently to defend the state’s corner.

"Instead, the FA gets demonised and I pray that all the negative noise that tags the FA as being one thing or the other will cease."

The Black Queens had been demanding a $23,000 each as payment of their bonuses owed them for winning gold in the women’s football tournament at the just-ended All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville and for playing in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games qualifiers.

Ghana was exposed to global ridicule at the World Cup in Brazil when $4m had to be flown to pay agitated their appearance fees.

Government made several failed promises to the players over when their monies were going to be paid.

It was the GFA who pleaded with the players to leave their pre-tournament camping base in Holland and USA without their monies being paid by government at the promised time.

Despite the failed promises, the management of the team, which is the GFA, continued to beg the players to play in competition until the player refused to training after three week of unheeded promises by government.

After all these efforts by the government a commission set up to investigate the matter put all the blame on the GFA, when the federation was rather defending the government.

The Dzamefe Commission failed to answer why the monies promised by government was not released at the promised time and no government officials were held accountable for the mess created which subjected the country to international disgrace.

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