2026 WAFCON: We need to take our chances – Black Queens coach Kim Lars after Cameroon defeat
Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Björkegren has challenged his side to become more clinical in front of goal after Ghana slipped to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Cameroon in their second Group D match at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
A first-half penalty from Marie Gisele Ngah Manga proved to be the difference on Sunday, despite Ghana producing one of their most encouraging performances of the tournament.
The Black Queens controlled long spells of the contest and carved out several clear-cut opportunities through Doris Boaduwaa, Portia Boakye and Evelyn Badu. However, their inability to convert those chances ultimately cost them, leaving Cameroon to claim all three points.
Speaking after the match, Björkegren praised his team’s overall display but admitted their lack of cutting edge in attack remains a major concern.
“I still believe a lot in this group, and we know that we have a strong defence. The only way to score against us is with a penalty, more or less, right now. We just need to take care of our chances,” the Swedish coach said.
Despite the defeat, Björkegren believes Ghana’s performances offer plenty of encouragement, pointing to the team’s ability to create scoring opportunities while remaining defensively organised.
He said Ghana’s expected goals (xG) figures from their opening matches underline the attacking threat the Black Queens are producing, but stressed that converting those chances into goals will be crucial if they are to progress.
“It shows that we’re doing many good things. We create enough chances and we have a strong defence. If we just start to score from our chances, then it’s going to be a fun tournament,” he added.
The result leaves Ghana with work to do ahead of their final Group D fixture against Mali on 6 August. The Black Queens will need a positive result to strengthen their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage of the competition.
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