I see this camp as very positive in the preparations for the WAFCON – Black Queens coach Kim Björkegren

Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Björkegren says Ghana’s senior women’s national team has made significant progress in its preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), despite disruptions to planned international fixtures.

The Black Queens spent the June international window in Accra after pulling out of a scheduled three-nation tournament in Tanzania, which had been intended to provide crucial competitive preparation ahead of next year’s continental championship.

Instead, the team remained in Ghana and took part in a series of friendly matches, including games against reigning Ghana Women’s Premier League champions Ampem Darkoa Ladies and the Greater Accra Elite U-15 boys’ team.

Although the Swedish coach admitted the team would have preferred to face fellow national sides, he believes the camp still achieved its objectives.

“We preferred to play against a national team, but we found out we couldn’t do it. We made the best of the situation,” Björkegren said.

Beyond the matches, the coach highlighted the importance of bringing the largely foreign-based squad together on home soil, describing the experience as valuable both on and off the pitch.

“We haven’t been in Ghana that much, so I felt it was a great opportunity for the players to be here, especially because the biggest part of the group plays abroad,” he said.

“So to be here in Ghana, eat Ghanaian food and play some games against local teams, I think it’s perfect.”

Björkegren believes the camp has strengthened the team’s preparations as they continue building towards the tournament.

“I see this camp as very positive in the preparations for the WAFCON,” he added.

The Black Queens have now wrapped up their training programme in Accra and are expected to reconvene next month for a pre-tournament camp in Morocco.

Ghana has been drawn in Group D of the 2026 WAFCON, where they will face Cameroon, Cape Verde and Mali as they seek to make a strong impression on the continental stage.

Jamaldeen Wiayuka

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