Black Queens coach blames South Africa defeat on ‘loss of concentration’

Black Queens coach Kim Lars Björkegren has blamed his side’s 2-0 defeat to South Africa in their 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) opener on a lapse in concentration.

The Group C clash, played on Monday, saw the defending champions strike twice in the first half through Linda Motlhalo and Jermaine Seoposenwe to secure victory for Banyana Banyana.

Despite the loss, the Black Queens created opportunities to stage a comeback in the second half, with Alice Kusi and Evelyn Badu both hitting the woodwork.

“We were the better team in the first half hour until the goal came. They scored from the penalty — it came from nowhere. After that, we gave them the opportunity to score another one, and that is a problem. We lost a little bit of concentration,” said Björkegren.

The Swedish tactician, however, praised his team’s overall performance, acknowledging the high calibre of their opponents.

“Otherwise, I think the performance was pretty good, I will say. We knew we were playing the previous champions and maybe the toughest game we can play.”

Ghana will now turn their attention to their remaining Group C matches against Mali and Tanzania as they aim to revive their WAFCON campaign.

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