Yusif Basigi buys waakye for hungry Black Queens

The impasse between Ghana’s female national football team and the country’s sports ministry over bonuses took a new turn when the head coach of the team had to go to the market to purchase rice and beans,popularly known as “waakye” to feed the team.

Allsports.com.gh understands Yusif Basigi went to the Nima market to purchase the meal for his players on Sunday morning after the restaurant of the M-Plaza hotel,where the team has been holed up for the past week were ordered by the ministry to stop providing meals to the team.

The stand off begun when the victorious members of the team arrived in Ghana on September 20 and refused to accept the $2000 dollar reward for winning a team gold at the All Africa Games in Brazzaville, claiming they were owed over $20,000 each in back pay for several qualification matches spanning a period of two years.

Despite several negotiations between the leadership of the team and the sports ministry led by its minister,Alhaji Mustapha Ahmed, there has been little headway in persuading the Queens to accept the ministry’s offer.

The situation worsened on Friday when the ministry asked the members of the team to depart the hotel for their homes since the ministry was unable to afford their continued stay and feeding at the plush M-Plazaz hotel.

Allsports.com.gh understands the ministry made a final offer of $5000 to the players as part payment of the debt owed the players,with a promise to pay the rest at a later date but that was also turned down by the team.