Dubai test awaits Björkegren’s revamped Black Queens

IN three weeks, the  2026 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) will kick off as 16 teams slug it out not just for the prestigious title, but also for Africa’s four slots for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

As expected, most teams have begun their preparations for the tournament, and for Ghana’s Black Queens, a golden opportunity has been handed to them with an invitation to participate in this year’s Pink Ladies Cup in Dubai.

The Queens are one of four teams, including Russia, Hong Kong and Tanzania, invited to the Dubai tournament, each one expected to use the platform to gear up for upcoming international assignments.

With limited time for the WAFCON, Coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren has stuck with most of the players he has worked with since taking over the reins, and has invited only six players to join the Pink Lady’s Cup. 

Since taking charge of the Queens last year, Coach Bjorkegren has steadily built the Queens into a very cohesive and well-coordinated team.

At this point, he has a fair idea of exactly what they want to achieve, so far as their ambitions for Morocco are concerned.

However, he is also looking to the future and keen to make the positions competitive, as clearly reflected in the players he has called up.

Goalkeeper Rose Baah, defenders Diana Amoako and Alexandra Emefa Tay, wingers Sharon Sampson and Helen Alomenu, as well as attacker Ajegipena Zakaria, are the new additions who have the chance in Dubai to justify their inclusion in the team that will eventually make it to Morocco for the WAFCON slated for March 17 to April 3. 

Pink Lady Cup

The Pink Lady Cup is an initiative of McSport, a FIFA-accredited sports agency, and was instituted in 2024 as an annual international women’s football tournament, bringing together national teams from different continents to compete in a round-robin format, after which the winners are crowned.

The previous two tournaments had six teams, but this year’s event will feature only four teams, meaning there will be only three matches for each side.

Russia, winners of the maiden edition in 2024, are the only side to have been consistently invited to the tournament, finishing second behind South Korea in last year’s event 

Contest

Since arriving in Dubai last Tuesday, the Queens have switched to business mode and kept a structured training schedule.

This afternoon, they begin the tournament with a game against Hong Kong, play Russia on Tuesday, and then wrap up the campaign on Friday with a game against Tanzania.

While it will be the first time they encounter Hong Kong, most of the Queens players have a fair idea of Asian opponents, some having played South Korea (2-2) at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup and Japan in international friendlies, losing 1-4 in 2024.

However, the team has seen many positive changes, which should be evident when they line up against Hong Kong, ranked 82nd in the world.

In Asia, Hong Kong are not among the top women’s football nations; however, having earned an invitation to this tournament, ahead of South Korea, who won the 2025 edition, speaks volumes about what they bring to the contest and will no doubt be a good test for the Ghanaians.

While Ghana and Russia have not played in any competitive games, this will be the second time they clash, the first occurring more than three decades ago in India.

They met in a similar international invitational tournament organised by the Indians at a time when they were trying to build their women’s football.

That tournament, which also featured India and Uzbekistan, was won by the Queens, led by Alberta Sackey, who beat all three teams to lift the trophy.

Ranked 28th in the world, the Russians, winners in 2024 and runners-up in the 2025 edition of the Pink Lady’s Cup, consider this tournament their lifeline at a time when they have been isolated from international sporting events.

They have had to pay a political price for the Russia-Ukraine crisis and have thus been sidelined from international competitions since 2021.

In 2021, Russia defeated Portugal 1–0 to qualify for the 2022 UEFA Women’s Euro, but, on the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIFA and UEFA, they were sidelined from all international sporting events and have yet to return. 

Thus, it will be interesting to see how they show up at the Dubai tournament, their third in a row.

The Queens’ final game against Tanzania’s Twiga Stars will be a replay of their Group C clash at the 2024 WAFCON, which the Queens won 4-1. 

With the Tanzanians, ranked 121st, also using this tournament as preparation for their 2026 WAFCON campaign, it will be interesting to see how they show up against the Queens, mindful of the pain they caused them the last time they clashed and cautious not to have their egos bruised ahead of their third WAFCON appearance. 

Mission

On paper, the Queens are tipped for success, given their recent performance and the depth of quality in the team.’

Last December’s international friendly against England’s Three Lionesses, which they lost 0-1, has bolstered the Queens’ ratings and moved them up to 62nd place in the current FIFA rankings.

They may just build on that to show the world once again that they are indeed a side on a mission. 

Coach Brokegren insists that while such a high rating by pundits is a good morale booster, it will not make them complacent, as they are in Dubai for one purpose: see how they can shape up for the WAFCON challenge in three weeks.