WAFCON 2025: Kim Bjorkegren Emphasizes Importance of Friendlies Ahead of Tournament
Head coach of Ghana’s senior women’s national team, Kim Lars Bjorkegren, has underlined the critical role of international friendlies in preparing the Black Queens for the upcoming 2025 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
As part of their final build-up to the continental tournament, the Queens are scheduled to play three friendly matches against Malawi, Botswana, and arch-rivals Nigeria later this month.
In an interview published on the Ghana Football Association’s official website, Coach Bjorkegren stressed that the variety of opponents will offer valuable tactical insights and match experience for his side.
“We want to test ourselves against different playing styles and team dynamics. Malawi and Botswana provide technical and disciplined opposition, while Nigeria offers the challenge of a traditional powerhouse,” he explained.
The Black Queens are currently camped in Morocco, where they are undergoing intensive training as they gear up for their Group C opener against defending champions South Africa on July 7.
Their friendly match schedule begins with a clash against Malawi on Saturday, June 21, at the Ziaida Complex in Benslimane. That encounter will be followed by a fixture against Botswana at the same venue on June 25.
The final preparatory test will come against the Super Falcons of Nigeria, a long-standing rival, on Friday, June 29, at the Lanouria Complex.
The trio of friendlies is designed to fine-tune team cohesion, assess tactical readiness, and boost player confidence ahead of the tournament.
The Swedish tactician, who took over the team in January 2025, has brought renewed focus and intensity to the Queens’ camp, with his methods earning praise from both players and Ghanaian football stakeholders.
