Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Björkegren is confident his side can progress beyond the group stage, saying Ghana will have a strong chance of qualifying if they can replicate the second-half performance from their defeat to Cameroon.
Ghana suffered their first defeat at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), losing 1-0 to Cameroon in their second Group D fixture at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca on Sunday.
Speaking after the match, Bjökegren admitted his side fell short of their best in the first half but was encouraged by the improvement after the break, believing that performance can inspire Ghana to a positive result against Mali.
“If we play as we did in the second half against Mali, we have a good chance of getting out of the group,” he said.
The Black Queens currently sit second in the group standings with 3 points after two games played.
Ghana will wrap their group-stage campaign against Mali on August 6 at 20:00 GMT, with both sides needing a positive result to secure qualification for the quarter-finals.
The semifinalist teams will secure qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
