Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Björkegren has delivered a candid assessment of Ghana’s prospects in Group D of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), describing the group as highly competitive while expressing confidence in his team’s potential.

The continental tournament will be staged in Morocco from March 17 to April 3, 2026, with Nigeria entering as defending champions.

Reacting to the group draw, Björkegren admitted Ghana faces a stern test from the outset.

“It’s going to be a tough group for sure,” the Swedish tactician said.

He singled out Cameroon as a particularly impressive opponent after closely watching their squad in action.

“I watched the Cameroon squad the other day, and I was a little bit surprised… I found out she is from Cameroon. I didn’t know, so it’s an amazing squad,” he noted, underscoring the quality within the Central African side.

Ghana will also renew acquaintance with Mali, a familiar adversary from the global stage.

“We played against Mali in the previous Women’s World Cup, so we know that they are a good team,” Björkegren added.

The Black Queens coach further warned against underestimating debutant teams, stressing that new entrants often pose significant threats in major tournaments.

With the opposition now confirmed, Björkegren says preparations will intensify as the technical team maps out its strategy.

“From now on, we can start planning for it and make the best possible preparation to achieve a good result,” he explained.

Beyond navigating the group stage, Björkegren was clear about Ghana’s broader ambitions, linking WAFCON success to qualification for the next FIFA Women’s World Cup.

“For me, and I think for all of us, it’s a clear target to make the top four, to make the World Cup. That’s going to be very, very important. We have to go for that. If we make the top four, then to push for the gold,” he stated.

The coach highlighted the steady progress of the Black Queens in recent years and believes consistency could carry the team deep into the tournament.

“We have shown that we keep moving in the right direction the whole time. If we do that, we have the potential to go all the way in the tournament,” he said.

However, Björkegren tempered optimism with realism, acknowledging the depth of quality across the continent.

“We also need to respect that there are other teams that are thinking the same way. There are probably six, seven, eight teams that can win the gold. We’re not alone. We’re going to do everything we can, and hopefully it’s going to be enough,” he concluded.

Ghana will be aiming to translate this cautious confidence into results as preparations ramp up for the 2026 WAFCON showdown in Morocco.