Kurt Okraku, the big boss at Ghana’s Football Association, is actually buzzing about the Black Queens’ chances against Mali. And, honestly, can you blame him? The way the girls came out swinging in the second half against South Africa, you’d think they’d been downing Red Bulls at halftime. Sure, they lost 2-0, but they smacked the post twice and really had the champs sweating for a minute. Not exactly the walk in the park South Africa was probably expecting.
So now, Ghana’s got their backs to the wall zero points, but far from out of the fight. Okraku was chatting with Akosua Adjei from 3Sports (over in Morocco, no less), and he couldn’t stop hyping up the team’s grit. He basically said, “Look, that second half? That’s the kind of fire that wins games. Mali’s tough, yeah, but our girls are locked in and ready to roll.”
He wasn’t shy about the mental game, either. Once you shake off that first match jitters especially when you’re up against the reigning champs you’re kind of freed up to just go for it. Bit of respect, sure, but now it’s all business.
And let’s be real, this Mali game is make-or-break. Both sides need the win, so it’s probably gonna be a proper slugfest. Okraku’s betting that Mali will come out swinging, too, which could actually play into Ghana’s hands. “Open game? That’s our jam,” was basically his vibe. He likes the energy in the camp, and you can tell he’s itching to see them go for it.
History’s on Ghana’s side, mostly they’ve beaten Mali three times out of four. Only problem? That one Mali win was the last time they met, back in the 2018 WAFCON. So yeah, there’s a bit of unfinished business there. The tension’s real.
If Okraku’s faith pays off, the Black Queens could be one step closer to shaking up the tournament and giving fans something to actually scream about. Next up: Mali on Friday, then they wrap up the group with Tanzania. Here’s hoping they bring the chaos.