Black Queens coach Kim Lars Björkegren urges continued investment in women's football after WAFCON heroics

Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Björkegren has lauded his team’s performance at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), describing their campaign as heroic, while emphasizing the need for sustained effort and development in Ghanaian women’s football.

Speaking upon the team’s arrival at Kotoka International Airport from Morocco, Björkegren acknowledged the warm reception from supporters who greeted the squad with cheers and songs following their third-place finish — Ghana's best result in the tournament since 2006.

“Step by step, we saw that we have the potential to beat almost all the teams in this tournament. We made some tactical adjustments after the first game, but ultimately, the girls did the biggest job,” he said.

Björkegren credited the team’s pre-tournament camp as a turning point, helping to strengthen both tactical awareness 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.

Looking to the future, the coach pledged to continue scouting and nurturing talent both locally and abroad, noting the depth of potential in Ghana.

“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 marked their return to WAFCON after missing the last edition in 2022, and capped their impressive run with a bronze medal after edging South Africa in a 4–3 penalty shootout in the third-place playoff.