Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Bjökegren has dismissed suggestions that his side is under pressure ahead of their decisive Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) fixture against Mali.
Ghana face Mali in a crucial Group D fixture, with qualification for the knockout stage on the line on Thursday.
The Black Queens’ journey at the tournament has been mixed so far, as they began with a victory over tournament debutant Cape Verde before suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Cameroon, denying Ghana an early place in the quarter-finals.
Despite the setback, Bjökegren, speaking ahead of the game, believes they have handled the situation well and are not feeling the weight of expectations ahead of their decisive encounter against Mali.
“We don’t have any pressure at all, not for a single second,” he said while addressing the media.
“I think for the girls, I can’t talk for them, but they look pretty relaxed, and we have been, of course, talking about football and things like that, but we also try to relax a little bit and talk about other things,” the Swedish trainer added.
A victory over Mali would send the Black Queens into the WAFCON quarter-finals and keep their ambitions of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup alive.
Kick-off is set for 20:00 GMT at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca.
