Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren has described Ghana’s quarter-final exit from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations as one of the most painful moments of his coaching career, after the team’s 2-1 defeat to Malawi ended their hopes of automatic World Cup qualification.The loss at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat not only ended Ghana’s WAFCON campaign but also denied the Black Queens a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.Malawi’s victory secured the final automatic qualification spot, leaving Ghana to take the play-off route for a chance to reach the tournament.”Potentially the worst feeling I had in 20 years of coaching,” Bjorkegren said at the post-match press conference.”I’m feeling so much for this team, for Ghana. I really wanted to help them to go to the first World Cup in 20 years, and we felt that we had a good chance to do it but we didn’t perform well enough.”Ghana had entered the tournament with high hopes after finishing third in the previous edition. The Black Queens began their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Cape Verde before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon and drawing 1-1 with Mali to finish second in Group D.The quarter-final against Malawi proved to be the end of the road, with Ghana unable to replicate their 4-0 pre-tournament friendly victory over the same opponents.The defeat means Ghana must now navigate the play-off route if they are to qualify for the 2027 World Cup. The Black Queens will face Cte d’Ivoire on Thursday, August 13, to stay in contention for a place in Brazil.For Bjorkegren, the focus will now shift to lifting his players and preparing for the play-off challenge. The Swede, who took over in February, will be hoping to lead Ghana to their first World Cup appearance since 2007, ending a 20-year wait for the nation.The road to Brazil just got longer for the Black Queens, but their journey is not over yet.



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