The Black Queens' narrow defeat to England is a sign of significant progress, according to Kim Lars Bjorkegren, who believes his squad is closing the gap on the world's elite.

Following a strong 2023 that included a WFCON bronze medal and Olympic qualification, the recent friendly against England provided a tough but valuable benchmark. "It was one of the toughest games you can play," the coach admitted, but stressed its importance.

"It showed that, OK, we're not England yet, but we're getting closer," he said, calling it a "unique, great opportunity" for players to see what world-class excellence requires. Coach Kim praised the team's resilience, noting they "stayed in the game for the whole game."

He also expressed being "super proud" of the team's performance and their overall journey, which has been marked by strong team spirit and fantastic fan support in Accra. "We felt really that we did it all together," he concluded.

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