The senior women’s national team, the Black Queens, have touched down in Tokyo ahead of their much anticipated friendly game against Japan on Saturday at Kanazawa Go Go Curry Stadium in Kanazawa, Japan.
The Black Queens have been inactive for nearly five months, with their last appearance dating back to February against Zambia’s Copper Queens in the Olympic qualifiers, which they failed to book their spot in Paris.
However, preceding this hiatus, the team broke a five-year spell by securing victory over Namibia in the final qualifying round of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), ensuring their participation in the 2024 WAFCON, enjoying a 10 game unbeaten streak under the guidance of Swiss tactician Nora Hauptle in the process.
The friendly against the former world champions is part of Ghana’s build-up to the 2024 WAFCON to be staged in Morocco, whilst Japan’s is a preparation for the Olympic Games in Paris, France.
The match against Japan currently ranked seventh (7) in the world will be the first time the Black Queens will face a top-10-ranked nation in the last 8 years.
The last time the Black Queens faced a top-10-ranked team in the world was in 2016 in a friendly match against Germany, where the Queens were brushed aside by 11 goals to nil in Paderborn.
19 players left Accra for Japan on Sunday, July 7, with three more players expected to join in Kanazawa for the game.
The three players are Bay FC’s Princesses Dankwa Marfo, Linda Eshun and Grace Asantewaa, who plays in Mexico.
The Black Queens are winless in their last 3 matches and would be hoping to bounce back to winning ways in order to build great momentum for the upcoming 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
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Story by: Rabbi Adu Agyei| univers.ug.edu.gh
