Black Queens hold final training ahead of Mali game

The Black Queens of Ghana wrapped up preparations for their game against Mali with a mandatory training session at the El Wak Stadium on Monday afternoon.

The Queens hope to seal qualification to the next stage of the competition having won their opening group game against Algeria 1-0.

Mali, on the other hand, succumbed to two late goals from Cameroon having gotten the lead in the first half. They are currently bottom of Group A with no point.

Coach Bashir Hayford took the players through some rigorous exercises after which they did some ball juggling before wrapping it up with penalty kicks and set-pieces.

In a brief interview with the press after the interview, coach Bashir Hayford said his ladies are poised for victory and will do everything within their means to collect all three points tomorrow.

He admitted that the team’s profligacy which came to light in their narrow win over Algeria is a worry to him and his assistant and that he is putting in all his efforts to have the problem addressed.

He was however hopeful that as the tournament progresses, the Queens will find their scoring boot and give Ghanaians the goals and beautiful football they’ve been clamoring for.

“Life is all about correcting your mistakes and going on with your life. In football when you play your first match, second match and third match then you are are naturally correcting your mistakes. Again because they have an opportunity of looking at themselves after the match through replays, they reflected soberly that I was the person who made a mistake like that. So they themselves have been making the corrections in their minds”.

“When we come to training they tell me that, coach I can see that I’m improving on my performance. When you improve on your performance it means you are doing well. You can't be going down almost every day. The first match was an opening game so the euphoria and pressure and expectations affected the ladies. The pressure has eased a little but not too much because if we are able to win this match then it means we are gradually crossing the bridge. So they are poised for victory. They know that they can’t fail Ghanaians”

Kick off time for tomorrow’s game is 3:30 at the Accra Sports Stadium.