2018 AWCON: We are prepared for any team - Black Queens coach

Head coach of Ghana’s Black Queens, Bashir Hayford, has disclosed that his side is prepared to face any team at the 2018 African Women’s Cup of Nations to be hosted in Ghana from November 17.

Ghana have been drawn in Group A and would face Cameroon, Algeria and Mali during the preliminary stages.

The host would either face defending Champions Nigeria, Zambia and Kenya who have been drawn in group B if they seal qualification out of their group.

Coach Bashir Hayford explained in an exclusive interview with Ghanaweb.com that the Queens are not worried and frightened to face any of the seven other teams who have qualified to the tournament because they remain focused on winning the trophy on home soil.

“I am not perturbed about what people were saying because we are focused and we were aware that we were going to play seven other countries. We were preparing for all the countries and not for some countries because as a tournament if you are not in Group B there is a likelihood that you will play in Group A, so we are not perturbed but preparing for all countries. Now that the draw is in and we have been narrowed for the start we don’t have a problem at all,” Coach Bashir Hayford told Ghanaweb.com.

The former Ebusua Dwarfs coach asserted that Ghana would not underrate any of their opponents in any game because countries have gone through proper preparation to qualify for the tournament.

Bashir Hayford said, “I don’t know the teams that are pushovers that should be put together so that we call them a group of non-performers, no. The countries have qualified for Africa and before you qualify you have to go through qualifying proceedings. Gone are the days when we were riding over Ethiopia, Kenya and co, we don’t underrate any country now because they are preparing very well because they have realized that football is a big business.

Bashir Hayford led Ashantigold to win the Ghana Premier League in 2015 after previously lifting it with Asante Kotoko in 2008.