When Swedish coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren took charge of Ghana’s Black Queens in January 2025, skepticism shadowed his appointment.
Tasked with filling the void left by transformative Swiss coach Nora Häuptle who had revived the team’s identity before departing for Zambia Bjorkegren faced immediate scrutiny.
His lack of African experience and early unconvincing results, including a loss to Morocco and a draw with Côte d’Ivoire, fueled comparisons to his predecessor, who was excelling with Zambia’s Copper Queens.
Yet the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) became Bjorkegren’s proving ground. Drawn in a brutal Group C with champions South Africa, Tanzania, and Mali, Ghana stumbled initially, losing their opener. But a resilient 1-1 draw against Mali and a gritty quarter-final victory over Algeria highlighted by goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan’s heroic penalty saves transformed the narrative.
The win did more than secure a semi-final berth; it marked Bjorkegren’s emergence from Nora’s shadow. Where early critics saw tactical rigidity, the Algeria match revealed a team molded in his image: disciplined, resilient, and tactically astute.
As Ghana prepares to face host nation Morocco in the semi-finals, Bjorkegren has achieved a pivotal milestone earning Ghana’s trust on his own terms. Whether or not the Queens lift the trophy, his ability to unite the squad and navigate high-pressure moments has quieted doubts and rewritten his legacy.
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