Ghana's Black Queens Dominate Qualifiers, Eye Olympic Glory!
Ghana's Black Queens have secured a dominant 10-0 aggregate victory over Mauritius, advancing to the final qualifying round for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. They will now face Zambia, the same team that prevented their qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics, as they aim for a historic first appearance.
Ghana's Black Queens have emphatically secured their progression in the qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, achieving a dominant 10-0 aggregate victory over Mauritius. Following a convincing 3-0 win in the first leg played in Mauritius, the Ghanaian side delivered a scintillating performance to demolish Mauritius 7-0 in the second leg at the Essipong Stadium on Tuesday.
Head Coach Kim Lars Björkegren's team displayed superior pace, power, and precision throughout the second-leg encounter, overwhelming the visitors from start to finish. Captain Portia Boakye opened the scoring for the Queens, followed by Evelyn Badu doubling the lead. Ajegipina Zakaria then made it 3-0 for Ghana before the halftime break. The pressure continued after the recess, with substitutes making an immediate impact. Benedicte Simon, who also scored in the first leg, marked her introduction with a goal in the 73rd minute. Jennifer Cudjoe added the fifth in the 87th minute, and Nancy Amoh and Mukarama Abdulai completed the rout with two late strikes, sealing the 7-0 victory.
Leading up to the decisive second leg, the Black Queens held their final training session on Monday evening at the Essipong Stadium, hours after Mauritius had also trained at the same venue. All 24 players participated as Coach Bjorkegren fine-tuned his squad. The team also engaged with the local community, visiting students of the Sekondi College ahead of their training. The Essipong Stadium itself marked a significant occasion, hosting a competitive game for the first time in seven years.
With this impressive win, Ghana now advances to the final qualifying round, where they are set to face Zambia. This upcoming fixture carries additional significance as Zambia was the team that denied Ghana qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in their previous encounter in the final qualifying round. The Black Queens, having undergone significant improvements, are determined to overcome the Copper Queens this time around. This result underlines Ghana's strong aspiration to secure a historic first qualification for the Women's Olympic Football Tournament at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.