Ghana’s Black Queens fell short of widely acclaimed expectations of the team in the just-ended WAFCON 2026 held in Morocco.
For a team that finished as bronze medallist the previous year in the WAFCON tournament, one would have expected them to build on that momentum for the WAFCON 2026, but it did not happen as such; they failed and were knocked out in the quarter-finals after a 2-1 loss to debutants Malawi (who also beat Nigeria earlier) during the group phase.
In this piece, I look at what accounted for the team’s power showing in the tournament in Morocco.
Kim had no plan.
Black Queens coach Kim Lars Björkegren is not a newbie to women’s football; for someone who has a longstanding record with women’s football, it shocked him to the core that he failed to exorcise the loopholes in his team and find solutions to it in game and out of game. The team played four games and crucially won just one game, losing two and drawing one against Mali, which was uncharacteristic of the Black Queens. The team lacked the real firepower upfront with Doris Boaduwaa; she looked out of place and fed on crumbs the entire time she led the line. There were as many as ten substitutions upfront, making one wonder if the technical team knew the strengths of the team as they struggled to penetrate and create enough clear chances.
Defensive vulnerabilities
Before the tournament, the Black Queens team looked like they would be the toast of the tournament, considering a six- game unbeaten run scoring twenty-one goals, but when the tournament started, the script flipped. In three games, the team conceded four goals, some from open play and set-pieces, which highlighted the team’s defensive fragility coupled with a lot of spineless performances. The team looked a pale shadow of itself, with many questioning the tactical authority of coach Kim and his technical team.
Off-field issues
Following their shocking loss to debutants, Malawi, there was a statement purportedly released on behalf of the players. The statement raised several issues; topical among them were outstanding bonuses (including from prior campaigns and qualification), per diems (disputing the start date of payments from their July camp), and inadequate overall support. They noted limited high-level visits (Sports Minister and President mainly at one early session) and said they largely relied on themselves and technical staff, but the Ministry of Sports disputed many claims, stating per diems were paid as approved and some bonuses were being processed or not formally approved. Regardless of the back and forth, they managed to beat neighbours Côte d’Ivoire to set themselves up for the intercontinental playoffs at the end of the year.
Rebuilding needed
While the experience of Portia Boakye (captain), Jennifer Cudjoe, Alice Kusi, and Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah was crucial to the team’s survival in the tournament, it was glaring that age was catching up with them. There were several phases of the game were fatigued drolled all over them as they battled to catch up with the youngies of Malawi, but the respite is that Grace Asantewaa, Doris Boaduwa, Evelyn Badu, and Princella Adubea have a considerable amount of experience under their belts, with the upcoming Ajegipina Zakaria, Alex Tay, Benedicte Simon, Linda Owusu Ansah, and Sharon Sampson set to complement them. In the near future, the core of this group will be maintained for team bonding and continuity.
One thing I know is that if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail; proper preparation prevents poor performance. We have been on this road for far too long not to know how to navigate the pitfalls; it seems to me that we are constantly happy to fall into the pit and drown in it.
Others are maximizing their resources; Cameroon just won their first title, and Malawi debutants made an historic final as well as a spot for the World Cup slated for Brazil.
