Head coach of the Black Queens, Kim Lars Bjorgekren, has said his side is well aware of the huge expectations from Ghanaians to excel at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

The team is placed in Group D and will face Cape Verde in their opening game on July 29, 2026, before taking on Cameroon and Mali in subsequent matches.

Speaking ahead of the opener, Lars acknowledged the massive expectations from Ghanaians and promised to work diligently to avoid disappointment.

WAFCON 2026: Black Queens ready for opener against Cape Verde after final training session

He noted that the team’s preparation has been solid, having won friendlies against top nations, and expressed confidence in improving on their third-place finish at the last WAFCON.

“I have learned to understand the expectations from the people in Ghana, and I love it. But like I said, for us, it’s clear that we were happy with the bronze medal in the previous WAFCON. I think we did really well. When I came in, I took over a team that hadn’t performed that well in a long time. So of course, one year ago we were happy and proud of the bronze medal.

"I think we have improved if you look back one year, step by step. After the tournament, we played against good teams like Russia, ranked 28th in the world, we won 4-0, for example. We also played England in December and performed well, even though we lost,” he said at the pre-game press conference.

A win for the Black Queens will put them in an advantageous position in their quest to secure the top spot in the group, paving the way for a smoother path to the final and qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

Watch the video below:

🇬🇭 Kim Lars Bjorkegren says the Black Queens have three progressive targets at #WAFCON2026 🏆

✅ Qualify out of the group
⏳ Reach semi-finals & qualify for World Cup
🏆 Go all the way to win WAFCON#SportyFM pic.twitter.com/lDbOnmlewd

— SportyFM Ghana (@SportyFM_) July 28, 2026