Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Björkegren has expressed satisfaction with the team’s steady progress in 2025, highlighting improved cohesion and growing depth within the squad.
The Swedish tactician took over earlier this year following Nora Hauptle’s departure to assume the head coach role of the Zambia women’s national team.
Since his appointment, Björkegren has enjoyed an encouraging start, guiding the Black Queens to a bronze medal finish at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and securing qualification for the next edition of the continental tournament.
“I feel that we are doing extremely well right now,” Björkegren told the Ghana Football Association.
He explained that the opening phase of his tenure focused on assessing the full player pool, with extensive rotation during friendly matches used to evaluate both experienced and emerging players.
“We used the first couple of friendlies to rotate a lot to take a look at the squad, to give some of the players who had been in the squad before a chance, and since then, we have been giving a lot of other players a chance,” he said.
Several players, according to the coach, seized their opportunities, helping him settle on a competitive squad ahead of major assignments.
“Some of the players grabbed the opportunity. But at the end of the day, we found a really good squad going into WAFCON.”
Björkegren also emphasised the role of the team’s preparatory camps in building unity and improving performance.
“We had a pre-camp before, where we grew a lot as a group, enjoyed our time on the pitch, and worked hard through many meetings,” he added.
Ghana rounded off the year with a narrow 1-0 friendly defeat to England at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, as focus now shifts to preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for March.
