As the Black Queens soar into the semifinals of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, their journey has sparked national pride. But it has also reignited a debate over whether football should remain sacred from politics.
Ghana’s Parliament recently paused to recognize the achievements of the national women’s team. The speech from Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah the ranking member of the parliamentary select committee on sports, praised the players but also drew a link between their success and the ruling party’s policies. That moment, though well-meaning, blurred the lines between celebration and politicization.
Football in Ghana has always been more than sport. It has been a thread binding north and south, coast and savannah, NPP and NDC. The Black Queens, like the Black Stars before them, carry the hopes of an entire nation and not a single party.
Their run to the semifinals wasn’t built on partisanship. It was shaped by years of sacrifice, training camps in obscurity, and players who fought for recognition in a system that hasn’t always prioritized women’s football. It’s the story of a team that refused to be defined by limits.
To link that achievement solely to one political era diminishes the legacy of those who came before. Progress in Ghanaian women’s football from the restructuring of the Women’s Premier League to the installation of community astroturfs certainly did not happen overnight. These milestones are the result of years of advocacy and incremental change across governments.
Of course, policy matters. Infrastructure matters. Investment in sport must be commended. But those efforts should be seen as part of a larger, shared vision and not political currency.
When sports are dragged into political corners, the danger is clear. Fans become divided. Players feel pressure. And what should be a celebration becomes a contest for credit. Ghana cannot afford to politicize one of its few truly unifying forces.
Let’s remember what the Black Queens have given us; joy, belief, pride. Their semifinal berth wasn’t about politics. It was about football.
Their story is one of resilience. They beat Algeria in a nerve-wracking shootout. They face Morocco next with the nation behind them. Their journey deserves applause, not applause filtered through political lenses.
Let this be a moment of collective pride. Not a partisan point.
Ghana’s love for football runs deeper than the ballot box. From makeshift pitches in Tamale to crowded viewing centers in Accra, Ghanaians of every background cheer together.
Let’s keep it that way. Let’s allow the Black Queens to inspire without boundaries. Let the pitch remain neutral ground, where only teamwork, passion, and national pride matter.
