“We need to be brave", Black Queens coach sets tone for England showdown

Nii Ayitey Brown 10:52 - 02 December 2025

Black Queens Head Coach Kim Lars Björkegren

Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Björkegren has urged his players to approach Tuesday night’s international friendly against the England Lionesses with courage, confidence, and collective determination as they prepare to face one of the world’s strongest women’s football sides at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton.

Speaking at the official pre-match press conference on Monday, the Swedish tactician reflected on England’s recent 8-0 demolition of China, an emphatic display that underlines the scale of Ghana’s challenge.

Björkegren said:

England played great and at the same time I respect China,

We are talking about a team that is 16th in the world and we are 67th, so I can’t blame them too much. But I think in how they attacked the game, they made some mistakes. They were too afraid. And if you are afraid to play against England, then you’re going to be destroyed, exactly what happened.

He insisted that Ghana cannot afford to repeat China’s fearful approach.

We need to attack the game differently. We believe in ourselves. We know we have strong players who are ready to tackle, to work hard, to take every duel. I hope we can stay in the game as long as possible. Our game plan is to win, whether that’s realistic or not, I don’t know, and I don’t care.

The coach highlighted the unity and ambition in the current squad, stressing that the players are committed to representing Ghana with pride.

I like the fact that we work hard and dream big and we do it together. You’re going to see a hard-working team. Whether it gives us a good result or not, we will see, but we’re going to do everything we can. If we are brave out there and give everything, everyone watching will see that we did something really good.

England Clash: A Major Test for Ghana
The match, scheduled for Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 7:00 PM, serves as an important test for the Black Queens ahead of upcoming WAFCON qualifiers and future FIFA international windows. Tuesday’s match is expected to showcase not only Ghana’s tactical growth under Björkegren but also the mental strength and bravery he continues to demand from his squad.

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