Black Queens Head Coach, Nora Hauptle, is confident of returning the side to the pinnacle of African football by winning the Women’s African Cup of Nations for the first time.
The Swiss national believes that with the correct direction, the team has enough talent to become a formidable force on the continent and around the world, according to the Swiss, who took over the team’s leadership in January.
She is aiming to clinch silverware at next year’s Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) as a first step toward achieving greater things with the team.
Hauptle has already guided the Black Queens to the third round of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games women’s tournament after posting a 5-0 aggregate win over the Amazons of Benin.
The Ghana Black Queens finished second in 1988 and 2002. The Queens participated in the WAFCON in 2018. She said the following in an interview, considering the threat the Amazons posed during the first half:
“No excuses for the poor performance in the first half; we faced some challenges coming into the game regarding injuries to some players, but this is football; it’s more about how we reacted, and I think in the second half, we showed the winning attitude.”
“Yes, we have Zambia next; they were at the World Cup and a top team. We would be ready for them in February.”
She stated that this month’s WAFCON qualifier against Namibia was the next item on the schedule.
“Our immediate task is the Nambia clash, one that can qualify and get us back to the tournament finals scheduled for Morocco next year.
“The last time, the team did not qualify. We have another opportunity to do so this time around and it is one big point in our mission.”
After assuming leadership, the 40-year-old former Swiss international observed that they were performing better and that she would keep her players prepared. She said,
“Some of the leagues are on break so we’ll work with individual programs to keep our players fit and ready to deliver the WAFCON ticket.”
