Black Stars Job, AFCON Ambitions: Key takeaways from Kim Lars’ post-match conference after Somalia win

Kim Lars Björkegren began his interim tenure as Black Stars coach with a 2-0 victory over Somalia on Thursday, November 12, 2026, but the Swedish tactician believes Ghana still have areas to improve as they pursue qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Speaking after the game at the Essipong Sports Stadium, Björkegren discussed his assessment of the performance, the team's response to Jordan Ayew's missed penalty and his own future with the national team. Here are the key takeaways from his post-match conference. Unhappy with Ghana's response after penalty miss Despite the victory, Björkegren was not entirely satisfied with how Ghana reacted after Jordan Ayew missed a penalty in the 14th minute. “We struggled after the penalty miss; the tempo was very low. So, I’m not so happy with how the middle of the first half went,” he said. The coach felt the Black Stars could have moved the ball quicker, particularly during the opening half. Pleased with the entertainment and overall performance Björkegren was, however, happy with the team's overall display, particularly the improvement after the break. He acknowledged the effort of his players despite the challenging playing conditions. “We played good football and we entertained the fans,” he said. I will do my best to help Ghana qualify for AFCON 2027 – Kim Lars Bjorkegren . Confident Ghana can qualify for AFCON The interim coach remains optimistic about Ghana's chances of reaching the 2027 AFCON despite the team's difficult start to the qualifying campaign. “I think we can go all the way and qualify for the AFCON,” he declared. The victory over Somalia was Ghana's first in Group C after opening the campaign with defeats to Côte d'Ivoire and The Gambia. On whether he wants the permanent Black Stars job Asked whether he was interested in becoming the substantive Black Stars coach, Björkegren insisted that his immediate responsibility was to serve the team during his interim assignment. “I’m gonna do my best when I’m here. My job is to be here and support Ghana, be there for the boys and do my absolute best to win every game and to help the boys back in this group. So I’m doing my job now and then we can see what happens next,” he said. Ghana will face Somalia again on Monday, November 16, 2026, as Björkegren targets another victory. Watch Parliament’s proceedings on the 2027 Budget presentation on Thursday, November 12, 2026 FKA/AMSource: www.ghanaweb.com
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