Black Queens coach Kim Lars Björkegren has shared his initial assessment of Ghana's Women's Africa Cup of Nations group, set to be held in Morocco.
"It's going to be a tough group for sure," Coach Lars stated, acknowledging the competitive landscape.
He expressed respect for Cameroon, a squad that left a strong impression. "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."
Familiar foes Mali also await, with Lars noting, "We played against Mali in the previous Women's World Cup, so we know that they are a good team." He also emphasized the threat posed by new tournament entrants, a common theme in high-stakes competitions.
With the opponents now known, the focus shifts squarely to preparation. "From now on, we can start planning for it and make the best possible preparation to achieve a good result," Lars explained.
The team's objectives are clear and ambitious. "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."
Lars stressed a measured, step-by-step approach, building on the team's consistent progress. "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."
However, he concluded with a note of realism and respect for the competition. "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".
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