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Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Björkegren has come to the defence of his squad following Ghana’s heartbreaking semi-final exit at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), praising their resilience and performance despite the narrow defeat.
Ghana bowed out of the tournament after a tense 4-2 penalty shootout loss to host nation Morocco, following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
The Black Queens had taken an early lead in the first half through a composed finish by Stella Nyamekye and looked in control for much of the game with solid defensive play and tactical discipline.
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However, Morocco equalised in the 55th minute through Sakina Ouzraoui, and despite both teams pushing for a winner in extra time, the match ultimately came down to penalties, where the Atlas Lionesses emerged victorious.
In his post-match remarks, Coach Björkegren reflected on the game and what he believed was an unfair outcome for his side:
We deserve a win. You can see when it comes to expected goals, when it comes to a team that is under one goal, that's a normal win. We were a little bit unlucky today. Then again, I can't be more proud of the girls and how hard they worked today.
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Björkegren said after the game.
The Swedish tactician also pointed to the physical strain his team endured in the buildup to the match, citing limited recovery time and travel fatigue as additional challenges that may have impacted their performance.
I am really proud of the girls; they worked so hard we were talking about our fatigue level before the game. Because we had one day less for recovery than Morocco, and we also had one day of travelling, so at the end of the day, it was really tough to start with. Then we played another 120 mins, and they did it so well; I think we were the better team in the game.
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Lars shared after the heartbreaking result.
Despite the disappointment, the Black Queens remain in contention for a podium finish and will now shift their focus to the third-place playoff against South Africa’s Banyana Banyana.