Accra, March 4, GNA - Sacked Black Queens' coaches have asked the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to pay them salaries for the period they served in technical capacities of the team. Dan Owusu, assistant to head coach, Isaac Paha who made the demand said they had not been paid for upwards of two years, the period that they had been in charge of the team.
He said the GFA management had told them they would be paid honourarium but unfortunately, the football administrators reneged on their word and did not pay them since their employment.
Dan Owusu said under the circumstances, they had to work under very difficult conditions, without any form of motivation, adding that he had proved himself as a competent coach in the West African Region. The coach therefore appealed to the GFA to pay them what was due them since their services had been dispensed with.
Fred Crentsil, chairman of the Black Queens Management Committee corroborated the allegation of the coach but was quick to add that the payment of their salaries was the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports.
He said they were working hard to ensure that what was due to the coaches was paid to them.
Mr Crentsil said the GFA was looking at ways of streamlining the appointment of local coaches to motivate them to deliver their best. He said the need arose for a change in the technical direction of the team because of concerns being raised by a cross section of Ghanaians about the poor form of the team.
The Chairman of the Management Committee said the Queens had two important matches which they must win to qualify for the African Women's Championship in Equatorial Guinea and the Olympic Games in China. The Black Queens clash with the Mama Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire on Saturday, March 8 for qualification to the African Championship while they have an away date with the Falcons of Nigeria, with the winner picking a Beijing Olympic slot.
The GFA at the weekend replaced the Black Queens' technical team with a new one headed by Mumuni Gamel, with Ben Fokou as his assistant, ending the tenure of Isaac Paha and his assistant Dan Owusu, as well as goalkeepers' trainer Dora Zuta.