Saanie Daara: Queens Bonus Saga Vindicates GFA�s Good Work

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

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

The Black Queens had been demanding a USD 23,ooo-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.

On Tuesday, the team received an initial USD 5,000 on the orders of the President, John Dramani Mahama with the rest of the amount to be paid later.

Saane Daara told Citi Sports: “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.

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 the loop.” I hope that this will help people 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.”

Meanwhile, majority of the Black Queens team have left the M-Plaza Hotel after receiving the USD 5,000 payment from the state. Citi Sports’ checks at the hotel reveal that just a handful of players are still at the hotel but they are expected to leave before the weekend.

The hotel’s management has told Citi Sports that they will put together the bill covering the stay of the Queens and forward it to the Sports Ministry for processing and payment.