Ghana’s Black Queens wrapped up their WAFCON preparations with a 3-1 loss to rivals Nigeria in their final pre-tournament friendly.
Played in Morocco, the friendly marked the Black Queens’ ninth warm-up match as they prepare for a long-awaited return to the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, having missed out since 2018.
Nigeria, the continent’s most decorated women’s team, asserted their dominance over Ghana, exposing gaps in the Black Queens’ setup and casting doubts over their tournament readiness.
The result offers plenty for head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren to ponder, particularly with Ghana drawn into a challenging group at WAFCON.
The Black Queens build-up to WAFCON has produced mixed outcomes. Despite consecutive victories over Malawi and Benin, the Black Queens have fallen short against stronger opposition, including Morocco and Nigeria. Of particular concern is that Senegal remains the only WAFCON-qualified team they’ve managed to beat during their preparations.
Coach Bjorkegren admits that Ghana may not be among the tournament favourites but remains confident the team has the potential to cause an upset.
The Black Queens will kick off their WAFCON journey on July 7 with a tough opener against reigning champions South Africa, followed by group-stage clashes with Mali and Tanzania in Group C.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Christian Kobby Quarshie
