Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Björkegren says his team is preparing for a stern challenge when they face Nigeria in their final preparatory match ahead of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Ghana has enjoyed a solid build-up to the tournament, securing two wins—beating Malawi 3–1 last Saturday and coming from behind to defeat Benin 4–2 on Wednesday at the Ziaïda Complex.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s high-profile clash with the Super Falcons, Björkegren acknowledged the quality and pedigree of the Nigerian side.
“With full respect to Malawi and Benin, Nigeria is one step up—one of the best teams in Africa with good players in almost every position,” he told the team’s media.
“The game against Nigeria is going to be a very, very tough game. But that’s also what we need now because we have shown that our lowest level is high enough.
“We know that we can score goals, and we have built a good defence, so it’s going to be fun to match up against one of the best teams.”
Reflecting on the victory over Benin, the Swedish tactician praised the team’s resilience and attacking improvement.
“I think overall, it was a good game with a great second half. We were struggling a little bit in the middle of the first half, but when we took control and started to play football, we were absolutely the better team.”
He also highlighted the need for squad rotation as the tournament approaches.
“We can’t just rely on 11 players. We need to have more players ready to play, and I want to use as many as possible.”
Ghana is drawn in Group C at the WAFCON, where they will face defending champions South Africa, Mali, and Tanzania.
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