Kim Lars Bjorkegren admits training boycott affected Black Queens’ first-half performance against Egypt

Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Björkegren has admitted that his team’s boycott of two training sessions before facing Egypt affected their early performance.

The Ghanaian players skipped training twice ahead of the final leg of the 2026 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers due to unpaid bonuses.

A resolution was later reached with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, allowing the team to resume full preparation.

Despite the disrupted buildup, Ghana sealed a dominant 4-0 win over Egypt at the Accra Sports Stadium, completing a 7-0 aggregate victory to book their place at next year’s continental tournament.

Björkegren acknowledged that the lack of training had a visible impact on the team’s rhythm, particularly during a goalless first half.

“If you haven’t done anything for two, three days, of course it affects you,” he said.

“It would be a lie otherwise, and the girls know it as well. But I felt in the second half we could do better, and we did.”

The Black Queens eventually found their fluency after the break, scoring four times to secure qualification for the 2026 WAFCON.

Ghana will next test their strength against reigning European champions England in a friendly match scheduled for December 2.