Ghana head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren says the Black Queens must strike the right balance between defensive discipline and attacking intent when they face Malawi in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final on Sunday.
The Swedish coach has recognised the threat posed by Malawi’s forward players but does not want Ghana to respond by abandoning their established approach.
Bjorkegren believes Ghana will need to remain compact when Malawi have possession while continuing to control the game and create opportunities of their own.
“They are a pretty good, hard-working group,” Bjorkegren said. “They have two world-class attackers, but we can’t just defend with 11 players.”
His comments underline the challenge facing Ghana as they prepare for a knockout match in which defensive organisation will be important, but simply sitting back could leave them vulnerable to sustained pressure.
Instead, Bjorkegren wants his players to remain confident in possession and improve their effectiveness when opportunities arise.
“We need to find a balance, do what we can to defend against them, but also believe in ourselves, keep the ball and take care of our chances a little better than we have done so far.”
The Black Queens coach believes his side have shown signs of improvement during the tournament and is encouraged by the way their performances have developed from one match to the next.
He highlighted Ghana’s second-half display against Cameroon and their performance against Mali as evidence that the team is beginning to find greater consistency.
Those performances have strengthened Bjorkegren’s belief that Ghana are moving in the right direction as they prepare for the quarter-final.
The coach’s emphasis, however, is not only on improving defensively or dealing with Malawi’s attacking threat. He also wants Ghana to retain their identity and impose their own approach on the game.
For Bjorkegren, the Black Queens cannot allow the opposition’s style to dictate how they play. Instead, they must remain committed to their own football while adapting sufficiently to the danger posed by Malawi.
“We have to play our game, not just react to theirs.”
That approach will require Ghana to combine caution with ambition throughout the match. While Malawi’s attacking quality is a major concern, Bjorkegren believes the Black Queens must also trust their ability to keep possession and make their chances count.
The quarter-final therefore presents Ghana with a test of both their defensive organisation and their attacking confidence.
Bjorkegren’s message to his players is clear: Ghana must respect Malawi’s strengths without becoming overly defensive, while making better use of the opportunities they create.
The coach’s assessment of the team’s progress also suggests he is confident that the Black Queens can build on the improvements seen in their recent performances.
With a place in the next stage at stake, Ghana will be expected to combine the defensive resilience needed to contain Malawi’s dangerous attackers with the attacking ambition their coach believes is essential to their chances of progressing.
