WAFCON 2024: Ghana Coach Kim Björkegren Eyes Win Against Mali
Ghana women’s national team head coach, Kim Lars Björkegren, has expressed optimism ahead of the Black Queens’ second Group C fixture at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), despite a disappointing start to the tournament.
Ghana will lock horns with Mali on Thursday, July 11, at the Stade Municipal de Berkane, with kick-off scheduled for 16:00 GMT. The match is a must-win for the Black Queens, who suffered a 2-0 loss in their opening game against reigning champions South Africa.
Speaking during the pre-match press conference, Coach Björkegren acknowledged the result against South Africa was not what the team had hoped for but insisted his side were dominant for long spells of the game.
“[Against South Africa] it wasn’t the result that we wanted, but at the same time we played against a very good team. In the big period of the time we were the better team,” he stated.
“We had more shots, we had more shots on goal, we had more corners, we hit the bar twice. They had one VAR penalty and scored, but overall we did pretty well. We just need to leave that game for now and move on, and make sure we do an even better game against Mali.”
The Black Queens will need nothing short of victory to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive. Mali, who currently sit second in the group after a win over Tanzania, pose a stern challenge for Björkegren’s side.
Ghana’s performance against the Banyana Banyana showed glimpses of promise, with multiple chances created but ultimately missed. The Swedish coach is urging his players to improve their efficiency in front of goal and show greater composure in critical moments.
As the pressure builds in Group C, all eyes will be on Berkane to see if the Black Queens can bounce back and reignite their WAFCON 2024 campaign with a vital win against Mali.
