2027 AFCON Qualifiers: Black Stars must be more clinical, says interim coach Kim Lars Björkegren after win over Somalia

Interim Black Stars coach Kim Lars Björkegren says Ghana must improve their speed of play and finishing despite beginning his tenure with a 2-0 victory over Somalia in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

The Swedish trainer guided the four-time African champions to victory in Thursday's Group C encounter at the Essipong Sports Stadium in Takoradi, securing their first three points of the qualifying campaign.

However, Björkegren believes his side still have significant room for improvement, particularly after a sluggish first-half display.

The interim coach admitted that Ghana struggled to maintain the required intensity in the opening period, with the hot weather potentially affecting the players.

"We were struggling a little bit. I don't know if the heat was too much, but the intensity was a bit low in the first half," he said.

Ghana improved after the break, raising their tempo and creating several opportunities as they took control of the contest.

Despite being pleased with the response, Björkegren believes his players need to move the ball quicker, particularly when building attacks.

"I think we can play the ball a bit faster than we did, especially in the first half. But I respect the effort because the heat makes it not easy to play," he added.

The coach also pointed to Ghana's finishing as another area that requires attention, insisting the team must become more clinical in front of goal.

"Of course, we can improve on many aspects from today's game, especially in terms of taking our chances," he said.

Björkegren is, however, confident the Black Stars can produce another positive performance when the two sides meet again on Monday.

He believes Thursday's encounter has given his technical team valuable insight into Somalia, having had limited information about their opponents before the first meeting.

"We did not have that much information about Somalia, and the good thing now is that after playing the first match, we know a bit more about them.

"I absolutely think we can do a second good game as well," he said.

The victory moves Ghana to third place in Group C with three points, although they remain on a negative goal difference of two.

The Black Stars will welcome Somalia to the Essipong Sports Stadium again on Monday, 16 November, in the return fixture as they seek to strengthen their chances of qualifying for the 2027 AFCON.

Ghana are hoping to return to the continental showpiece after missing the 2025 edition in Morocco.

The 2027 tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.