Kim Lars Björkegren, head coach of the Black Queens, praised their 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) performance as amazing, highlighting the need for continued improvement in Ghanaian women’s football.
Upon the team’s return to Kotoka International Airport from Morocco, Björkegren spoke of the warm reception from supporters, who cheered and sang to celebrate the squad’s third-place finish, Ghana’s best since 2006.
“We realized we could beat most teams, step by step. The girls did the main job, even after tactical changes after the first game.
The team’s pre-tournament camp was a turning point, said Björkegren, improving tactics and team chemistry.
“We started with only friendly games and had almost no training at all before the tournament. But the pre-camp we had for a couple of weeks gave me the time to work closely with the players. We also had video analysis sessions every day, and that really helped us build confidence and structure,” Björkegren noted.
The coach vowed to keep finding and training talent at home and overseas, focusing on Ghana’s promising future.
“We can expect a little bit of rest to start with, but then again, hard work. The future is bright in Ghana, and there are more girls out there. We will keep spending time both here in Ghana and abroad to identify more talent,” he added.
When asked about Ghana’s prospects of reaching the next FIFA Women’s World Cup, Björkegren struck an optimistic yet measured tone.
“We can see how close we are. We played against Morocco in front of 21,000 fans, and we were the better team. Of course, we know that we can win it, but we must continue to respect our opponents and keep improving,” he concluded.
The Black Queens, who missed the 2022 edition, returned to WAFCON and secured a bronze medal, beating South Africa in a 4-3 penalty shootout.