Head coach of the Black Queens of Ghana, Kim Lars Björkegren, remains optimistic despite his side’s 2-0 loss to South Africa in their opening match of the 2024 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The highly anticipated Group C encounter took place on Monday, with defending champions Banyana Banyana proving too strong for the Ghanaians. Goals from South Africa sealed all three points, handing Ghana a tough start to their WAFCON campaign.
However, speaking in his post-match interview, Coach Björkegren praised his team’s overall effort and highlighted several encouraging aspects of their performance.
He believes the experience, though disappointing in terms of the result, will be crucial for the team as they aim to advance from the group stage.
“We were playing against the previous champions, so maybe it’s the toughest game you can play at this tournament,” Björkegren said. “Like I said, we did many good things and we will take the good things with us into the next two games, and I’m pretty sure we are going to make the playoffs, which is important.”
Despite the defeat, his post-match comments reflect a belief that Ghana can bounce back and still make an impact at the tournament.
The match against South Africa saw the Queens show moments of fluid play, composure, and resilience, attributes Björkegren insists can be refined and turned into results in the matches ahead.
Ghana will now turn their attention to a crucial second group fixture against Mali on Friday, July 11. The Malians will also be looking for points after a mixed start, setting the stage for a high-stakes encounter. The Black Queens will wrap up their Group C campaign against Tanzania, a match that could ultimately determine their fate in the tournament.
With the top two teams in each group advancing to the quarterfinals alongside the two best third-placed teams, all is not lost for Ghana. The coaching staff and players are expected to regroup, correct their mistakes, and return stronger for the next challenge.
The Black Queens are seeking to make it to the knockout stages of WAFCON for the first time since 2006. Their performance in the remaining group games will be critical, and under Björkegren’s guidance, the team is still very much in the race.