Ghana thrive against stronger teams, says Bjorkegren ahead of Cameroon test at WAFCON

Ghana head into the meeting at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca on the back of a 2-0 opening day win over tournament debutants Cape Verde.

Cameroon, meanwhile, arrive with an equally strong platform after a 2-1 victory over Mali, meaning both teams sit level on three points at the top of the group and only one victory away from confirming a knockout-stage berth with a match to spare.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Saturday, Bjorkegren was keen to move the focus quickly on from Wednesday’s comfortable opener.

“Like always, we’re looking forward to the next game. We did what we should in the first game. We took the three points and we moved on. We did good things. We did things that we can learn from and improve. Tomorrow, with respect for Cameroon, it's going to be one level up, I expect.”

The Swedish tactician was also complimentary of the challenge posed by Cameroon, who missed the 2024 tournament and are back on the continental stage. He referred to what he described as an evolving Cameroon coaching setup as an additional wrinkle to prepare for.

“We're going to play against a good Cameroon team. A Cameroon team with experienced players, with quality. They have a good balance. They also have young, hungry players. I know Dimitri has also been coming into the team. I guess that will help them as well as they're going to be potentially more organised.

"I think it's going to be a tough one, but like always, I’m starting to know the girls very well now and I believe in them. I also know when the opponent is more difficult to play against, it normally means that we play a better game. For me personally, pressure doesn't exist,” he added.

Bjorkegren was equally frank about what his side must do differently to make its dominance count. 

“We need to be ready from the first second and take this good opportunity. We know both teams have a good chance with three points to take you to the next step, of course. So, I expect a tough, hard game, but I believe in us. I wish it was easy to say, but I think we had 16-1 in chances against Cape Verde and the xG was over four.

"So of course, to only score two, that's something we talked about. But at the same time, like I’m always saying, you don't miss a good chance on purpose. You may be having a bad day or you need to be a little bit more concentrated next time.

"And you need to take care of the opportunities, especially when you play against a strong team like Cameroon. We can't expect 16-1 in chances. So maybe we’ll cut that to eight and then we need to probably score more than one goal to maybe win the game.”

The wider stakes for the Black Queens go beyond Sunday’s three points. A place in the quarter-finals is the immediate reward, but the real prize is a semi-final berth, which would automatically secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Ghana face Cameroon at Moulay Rachid Stadium at 17:00 GMT on Sunday, before closing the group stage against Mali at the same venue on August 6.

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