Despite a rocky start to their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) campaign, Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Björkegren remains optimistic about Ghana’s chances of advancing in the tournament.
Ghana returned to the WAFCON stage for the first time since 2018 but suffered a 2-0 defeat to reigning champions South Africa in their Group C opener. The Queens found themselves behind early after Linda Motlhalo calmly converted a penalty, followed swiftly by a crisp low finish from Jermaine Seoposenwe in the 33rd minute.
Speaking after the match, Björkegren acknowledged the challenge but remained positive.
“We knew we were playing against the previous champions, so maybe potentially the toughest game that we can play in this tournament,” he told reporters. “But we did many good things.”
The Swedish tactician insisted that his team could build on their performance and push for a spot in the next round.
“If we take the good things with us into the next two games, I am pretty sure we are going to make the playoffs and that is the most important.”
The Black Queens are currently bottom of Group C, but with fixtures against Mali on July 11 and Tanzania on July 14, they still have everything to play for.
Ghanaian fans are hopeful the team can bounce back with improved performances in their upcoming matches, as the nation looks to make a deep run in the tournament.
This year’s WAFCON, hosted in Morocco, has already seen fierce competition as the continent’s top women’s teams battle it out for glory and for the Black Queens, the journey is far from over.
