Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren says Ghana’s women’s national team has made significant strides in recent weeks and is fully prepared to take on defending champions South Africa in their CAF Women’s AFCON opener.
The much-anticipated clash kicks off today at 16:00 GMT in Rabat, with Ghana returning to the tournament after missing the previous edition. The Black Queens are placed in Group C alongside South Africa, Mali, and Tanzania.
In a pre-match interview, Bjorkegren struck a confident tone, pointing to the team’s progress on and off the pitch since their last training camp.
“This team has been growing a lot in the last month, both on the pitch and off the pitch,” he said. “We are physically better prepared and tactically better prepared than we were even a month ago, and I’m pretty sure the players feel that too.”
The Swedish coach, has quickly instilled a sense of belief in the squad. His focus on tactical discipline and team chemistry appears to be paying off as the Queens look to reach the knockout stages for the first time since 2016.
Though Ghana enters the tournament as a perceived underdog, Bjorkegren believes they have the tools to compete with and beat any team in the competition.
“We know people might not see us as favourites, but we believe in our quality. We’re here to compete, not just participate”.
Ghana’s next group matches are against Mali and Tanzania in what promises to be a tightly contested group. But all eyes will be on this afternoon’s opening fixture, arguably one of the toughest tests for the Queens.
A strong showing against the reigning champions would not only boost Ghana’s confidence but also send a message to the rest of the continent: the Black Queens are back, and they mean business.
