‘Queens worked hard for Burkina win’

Black Queens coach, Yussif Basigi, says his team’s 3-0 win over Burkina Faso in their African Women’s Championship (AWC) last Sunday  was no fluke but an indication of the hard work and the team’s determination to reclaim their place among the continent’s elite.

Unsure of what was in store for them in Ouagoudou, the Queens apporached the match with caution but returned with a 3-0 win courtesy goals from Faiza Ibrahim and Agnes Aduako, claiming a huge advantage into the second leg in Accra next week.

The Queens, who until two years ago had been regular participants of the AWC, have vowed to qualify for this year’s event to be held in Namibia with the intention of also qualifying for next’s Women’s World Cup (WWC) in Canada.

An obviously relieved Coach Basigi told the Graphic Sports on arrival from Burkina Faso on Monday that the result reflected the efforts the Queens put in.

“I think they [players] were mentally ready for the game. They could not stand the thought of losing out on another African Championship. And unsure of how the Burkinabes play, the girls were ready to go for the kill as early as they could and I think they achieved their aim. It is a good result, even though I must caution that it’s not over yet. We still have a second leg to play and we must be ready for that match.

“I’m not promising anything but I think we will prepare for a goal harvest in the second leg,” said Coach Basigi, who was the assistant coach to Kuuku Dadzie during the 2012 qualifiers.

After the two-leg qualifier against Burkina Faso, the Queens are poised to play Ethiopia (who had a walk over South Sudan). South Sudan pulled out of the competition after being paired against Ethiopia.

In other AWC qualifiers played over the weekend, Algeria won 2-0 against Morocco, Tunisia beat Egypt 3-0, Cote d’Ivoire were 4-0 winners over Mali, Rwanda pipped Kenya 1-0, Zambia won 2-1 against Tanzania, while Botswana went down 0-1 to Zimbabwe.

Nigeria and Mozambique both had walk-overs as their respective opponents, Sierra Leone and Comoros Island, pulled out.