2026 WAFCON: Black Queens feeling no pressure ahead of Mali clash - Kim Lars Bjökegren

Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Bjökegren has insisted his players are approaching Ghana's decisive Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) Group D encounter against Mali with confidence and without the burden of pressure.

Ghana will take on Mali on Thursday in a winner-takes-all contest, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake following a mixed start to the tournament.

The Black Queens opened their campaign with an impressive victory over tournament newcomers Cape Verde but were unable to secure early qualification after falling to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Cameroon in their second group match.

Despite the importance of the upcoming fixture, Bjökegren says his squad remains calm and focused, revealing that the team has made a conscious effort to stay relaxed ahead of the decisive showdown.

"We don’t have any pressure at all, not for a single second," he said while addressing the media.

"I think for the girls, I can't talk for them, but they look pretty relaxed, and we have been, of course, talking about football and things like that, but we also try to relax a little bit and talk about other things," he added.

A win over Mali would secure Ghana's place in the WAFCON quarter-finals and keep alive the Black Queens' hopes of progressing towards qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.

The crucial Group D fixture will kick off at 20:00 GMT at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca.