Should Kim Lars lead the Black Stars amid Black Queens’ World Cup bid?

GhanaWeb Feature by Benjamin Sackey

The appointment of Kim Lars Björkegren as interim head coach of the Black Stars has sparked concerns, particularly given his current role as head coach of the Black Queens.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) announced that the Swedish tactician has been tasked with leading Ghana in their crucial November double-header against Somalia, with Black Stars assistant coach Godwin Attram and Ibrahim Tanko expected to assist him.

A committee comprising government and Ghana Football Association (GFA) representatives, led by Fred Pappoe, is said to have made the appointment on an interim basis while searching for a permanent successor.

Spend Time in Ghana, Scout Locally: Kofi Adams outlines criteria for next Black Stars coach

The reported move comes at a critical moment for Ghana, who have suffered consecutive defeats in their opening Group C matches against The Gambia and Côte d’Ivoire and are desperate to get their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign back on track.

In November 2026, Kim Lars and his technical team will be tasked with securing victories in both matches against Somalia. Failure to do so could jeopardise Ghana’s chances of qualifying for the tournament for the second consecutive time.

However, the major concern is the Black Queens’ intercontinental World Cup play-off campaign, which is scheduled to take place from late November into early December, overlapping with the period of the Black Stars’ matches.

The Black Queens face a challenging route in their bid to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with Ecuador, Uzbekistan and Papua New Guinea standing between them and a place in the final phase of the play-off tournament.

The Black Queens will begin their campaign against Ecuador before taking on Uzbekistan in their second match and rounding off the preliminary phase against Papua New Guinea.

The six-team preliminary phase is scheduled for November 24 to December 5, 2026, with Ghana among the teams competing for a place in the decisive stage of the qualification process.

Under the reported arrangement, Kim Lars is expected to take charge of the Black Stars before turning his attention to preparing the Black Queens for their World Cup qualification matches.

This presents a significant challenge, and many may argue that it would have been more prudent to allow him to focus on the Black Queens, given Ghana’s long-standing ambition to qualify for the Women’s World Cup.

It remains unclear whether a new coach will be appointed to take charge of the women’s team. Such a change could disrupt preparations, particularly given Kim Lars’ familiarity with the players and his work with the team so far.

The results of the Black Stars’ double-header against Somalia in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers could also influence the interim coach’s future in the role.

No Ghanaian should die due to lack of cath lab facilities – Mark Kurt Nawaane