Black Queens coach names maiden squad for Morocco friendly

THE new Black Queens head coach, Lars Björkegren, has wasted no time in getting down to business, assembling a 25-member squad for a training camp in Morocco ahead of his first test on Friday.

The 43-year-old Swede, officially unveiled last Friday at the Ghana Football Association headquarters in Accra, has begun preparations for his first test – an international friendly against Morocco on Friday.

The friendly match will be played at the Pere Jego Stadium in Casablanca, marking the first time the team are assembling after missing out on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, having been eliminated by Zambia.

Balanced team

Björkegren’s first squad selection reflects a balance between experienced stars and promising talents.

The invited players include a quartet of home-based stars – Army Ladies' Adama Alhassan, FC Epiphany Warriors' Safia Salifu, Kumasi Sports Academy's Kerrie McCarthy, and Ampem Darkoa's Comfort Yeboah – who were rewarded for exceptional performances with their respective clubs in the Malta Guinness Women's Premier League.

The foreign-based contingent arrived last weekend and had their first meeting with their new Swedish coach, who replaced Swiss Nora Hauptle, currently in charge of Zambia’s women’s national team.

At his unveiling, Coach Bjorkegren expressed his eagerness to begin working with the players and also set his targets for the team.

He said one of his priorities would be to understand the strengths of the players and integrate them into a cohesive unit.

“Step by step, I’ll get to know them better, and that will make us stronger as a team.”

“I want the team to be brave, both in attack and defence. We need to press harder, attack quicker, and maintain Ghana’s DNA of playing beautiful football. That means keeping the ball on the ground and being creative,” he stated.

He described Friday’s friendly against Morocco as an opportune time to set to work, though stressed that it would be just a training session.

“It’s a deep dive straight away. There won’t be much time to implement everything, but the most important thing is getting the players to believe in themselves.”

Squad

Below are the other invited players:

Goalkeepers: Cynthia K. Findib, Kerrie McCarthy, Siafiatu Salifu

Defenders: Anasthesia Achiaa, Justice Tweneboa, Adama Alhassan, Comfort Yeboah, Nina Norshie, Susan Duah

Midfielders: Sherifatu Sumaila, Jennifer Cudjoe, Grace Asantewaa, Azumah Bugre, Jacqueline Owusu, Josephine Afua Kyerewaa Bonsu,

Forwards: Evelyn Badu, Princella Adubea, Doris Boaduwaa, Alice Kusi, 
Stella Nyamekye