Ghana’s senior women’s national football team, the Black Queens, remain stranded in the United Arab Emirates after the country closed its airspace and cancelled all flights in response to the escalating military conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
The team arrived in Dubai on Wednesday, February 25, to participate in the Pink Ladies’ Cup, a four-nation tournament used to fine-tune preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), which kicks off in Morocco on March 17. The Black Queens opened the tournament with a commanding 4-0 victory over Hong Kong, with goals from Ajegipena Zakaria, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, Doris Boaduwaa, and Princess Marfo.
Later that same evening, parts of Dubai reportedly came under Iranian missile attacks targeting United States military bases, with some hotels and sections of the airport said to have been impacted. The Ghanaian delegation, comprising 25 players and 16 officials, is staying at the Four Points by Sheraton in Sharjah, a port city near Dubai, with the impacted areas said to be approximately 10 to 15 minutes from their hotel.
Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku has personally met with the players to appeal for calm, assuring the team that the GFA has, over the past 24 to 48 hours, engaged all stakeholders, including Ghana’s diplomatic mission in the UAE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and security advisors.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa confirmed he has been in direct communication with the team’s leadership and emphasised that Ghana’s diplomatic mission in the UAE is actively on the ground providing consular support, stating that the safety and welfare of all Ghanaians in the Middle East remains the government’s utmost priority.
The GFA has asked the public to remain calm and pledged to provide further updates as the situation develops.