2026 WAFCON: I don’t feel any pressure ahead of Mali clash – Black Queens coach Björkegren
Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Björkegren says he is approaching Ghana’s decisive Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) group-stage clash against Mali without any sense of pressure, despite a place in the quarter-finals being on the line.
Ghana face their West African rivals on Thursday knowing that a draw will be enough to secure qualification from Group D, while Mali must win to keep their tournament hopes alive.
Speaking ahead of the crucial encounter, the Swedish coach said he and his players have remained composed as they prepare for one of their biggest matches of the competition.
“For me personally, I don’t feel any pressure at all, not for a single second. I think for the girls, I can’t speak for them, but they look pretty relaxed.
“We have, of course, been talking about football and things like that, but we also try to relax a little bit and talk about other things. There have been team-building activities, for example, that I think can help at this stage where we are right now.”
The Black Queens began their WAFCON campaign with an impressive 2-0 victory over Cape Verde before falling to a narrow defeat against Cameroon in their second group match.
Despite that setback, Ghana remain in a strong position to reach the knockout stage, with their fate firmly in their own hands.
A positive result against Mali would see the Black Queens advance to the last eight and move a step closer to the semi-finals, where qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil will also be at stake.
Björkegren will now be hoping his side can match their calm approach with a disciplined performance on the pitch as they bid to return Ghana to the latter stages of the continental competition.
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