Ghana's senior women's national team, the Black Queens, have demanded the payment of outstanding bonuses and per diems while accusing the government of neglect and inadequate professional support during their campaign at the ongoing Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The Black Queens exited the competition at the quarterfinal stage after a 2-1 defeat to Malawi, a result that ended Ghana's hopes of securing an automatic qualification spot for next year's FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil.

In a statement issued ahead of their World Cup playoff against Côte d'Ivoire on Thursday, the players expressed frustration over what they described as a general lack of support and called for improved treatment and better professional conditions in future national team assignments.

The players expressed disappointment at the level of official support during their WAFCON campaign, noting that the Sports Minister and President were present only at their first official training session.

Despite their concerns, the Black Queens stressed that the statement was not intended to create conflict or disrespect anyone, but rather to demand “transparency, accountability, fairness and respect.”

They also praised their technical staff for standing by them throughout the campaign and urged the relevant authorities to engage with the players and work towards a swift resolution.

The players also called for their outstanding financial obligations to be settled, while urging the relevant authorities to provide the necessary support to enable the team to compete at the highest level.

Ghana will face Côte d'Ivoire on Thursday with a place in the World Cup playoffs at stake.