Bjorkegren says Black Queens proved they can compete with the world’s best after England defeat

Ghana coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren believes his side can take pride from their performance despite a friendly defeat to England at St Mary’s Stadium.

The Black Queens were beaten 2-0 by the European champions, who scored early through Lucia Kendall before Alessia Russo added a late penalty. Ghana, ranked 67th in the world, showed resilience throughout against a team Bjorkegren described as “potentially the best in the world”.

“As a coach you always want to win, of course, but at the same time, we need to have in our mind that right now we are 67 in the ranking and we played against England that is potentially right now the best team in the World, and we did it in an away game,” Bjorkegren said after the match.

“We were standing up, we were fighting for 90 minutes, and I think that we can be really proud how we performed in the game. How hard the girls worked, and overall, I am really happy.”

The Swede, who has been in charge since 2024, has overseen steady progress as Ghana prepare for future major qualifying campaigns. While disappointed by the result, he views the test as a valuable step in the team’s development.

England controlled large spells, hitting the woodwork four times, but Ghana remained competitive and defended with discipline throughout. Bjorkegren says the display gives the squad confidence as they continue to build under his guidance.

“It is games like this that show us where we are and what we need to improve,” he said. “But there were many positives from tonight. The players showed spirit, structure, and the willingness to push themselves. We will continue to grow from here.”

The Black Queens will return to Accra ahead of their next international window in 2026.