When Kim Lars Björkegren was appointed head coach of the Black Queens, many doubted his ability, especially given his limited experience in African women’s football. The Swede replaced Nora Häuptle, who left her post with Ghana to take over Zambia’s Copper Queens.
Her departure sparked concern among fans, particularly after she had successfully led Ghana to qualify for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
But Kim’s journey from skepticism to admiration has been remarkable.
Before the tournament, the Black Queens played six preparatory friendlies against Ivory Coast, Senegal, Malawi, Benin, Botswana, and Nigeria. Kim guided his side to two wins in those matches, three defeats and a draw scoring a total of seven goals and conceding 11 goals, not an encouraging start for the swede.
Tough start, Big finish
Ghana found themselves in a tricky Group C alongside defending champions South Africa, Mali, and Tanzania. They began their WAFCON campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Banyana Banyana, which raised concerns.
A 1-1 draw against Mali intensified the pressure on Kim, but the team responded emphatically, defeating Tanzania 4-1 to secure a quarterfinal spot.
In the last eight, Ghana faced Algeria and advanced after a dramatic penalty shootout, thanks to goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan’s heroics.
Meanwhile, former coach Nora Häuptle suffered a humbling 5-0 loss with Zambia against Nigeria.
The semi-final clash with hosts Morocco, led by World Cup-winning coach Jorge Vilda, was one of the tournament’s most thrilling matches. After a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes, Ghana narrowly lost 4-2 on penalties despite having the better chances to win in regular time.
“I’m so proud of the girls,” said Björkegren after the game.
“I think we were the better team today. You can see it in the expected goals—we had 2.21 versus their less than 1. Normally, that’s a win. We were just unlucky today.”
A tournament to remember
For the first time since 2016, Ghana finished on the podium, claiming the bronze medal after another penalty triumph over South Africa. Once again, Cynthia Konlan stood tall, delivering crucial saves to secure a 4-3 victory in the third-place playoff.
It was a massive moment for Kim Björkegren. From an uncertain start to guiding Ghana to their best WAFCON finish in nearly a decade, the Swede has turned doubters into believers.
After missing out on the 2022 tournament and crashing out at the group stage as hosts in 2018, this third-place finish is a major step forward for the Black Queens.
And Kim is confident this is only the beginning.
“The future is really bright in Ghana,” he said. “We’re close, and if we keep working hard, we can win it [AFCON] soon.”
Looking ahead, Kim has his sights set on the next round of qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The big question remains: can he build on this momentum and deliver Ghana’s first WAFCON title for a nation yearning to lift a continental trophy?
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