The Black Queens recorded a 1-0 win over the Teranga Lionesses of Senegal in an international friendly on Saturday at the Stade Lat-Dior in Thies, Dakar.

The team started strongly, controlling possession and playing with confidence in the opening minutes, which resulted in the winning goal. After the encounter, here is a summary of what Head Coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren shared with GFA Communications.

On the Win

Of course, in professional football, you’re always happy when you win. For us, there was one main aim: to win the game. I would say that in the first 30 minutes, we were able to score a beautiful goal, exactly how we wanted to play, with a perfect cross. And Evelyn scored with a great header from a number 10 position. I think we started the game pretty well.

On the Senegalese

We knew before the game that it was going to be a tough game for us, a tough away game. We knew Senegal could be physical, and I felt the start was pretty good.

On what transpired at the break

I felt that towards the end of the first half, we were adapting to their physical style, with more stops and a more Senegal-like way of playing. We actually discussed this at halftime, noting that we needed to play football on the ground and move the ball a little faster. However, we didn’t, and early in the second half, we received a red card. When we did, it completely changed the game. From that point on, it was a completely different game.

On the general performance of the team

I think we have a good team. Many of the players are big and strong, and they play physical football. I feel that it’s always difficult to compare two different styles. I believe we’re the better team when the ball is on the ground, but when the ball goes up in the air and the game becomes more physical, it’s a close match.

Ghana and Senegal will face off again on Tuesday as part of our nine-day training tour organized by the Ghana Football Association.

Defender Razak Simpson scored a sensational piledriver for Nations FC in their 1-0 win over Hearts of Oak at the Tuba Astro Turf on Thursday April 3, 2025.

The visitors broke the deadlock in the 57th minute when the Black Stars defender capitalised on a defensive lapse, controlled the ball, and fired a powerful volley into the net.

The Phobians endured another frustrating afternoon as they suffered their seventh defeat of the season.

The latest setback extends Hearts of Oak’s winless run to four matches, putting coach Aboubakar Ouattara under huge pressure.

The result also sees them fall further behind league leaders and rivals Asante Kotoko, who now hold an eight-point advantage.

Nations FC’s victory moves them back into the top four as they continue their strong campaign, while Hearts have slipped to 6th position with 37 points.

Ghana’s Theophilus Aberenga Akugre has been selected among 56 officials for training in Cairo ahead of the TotalEnergies U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Akugre, an assistant referee, joins 14 other assistant referees from across the continent who will officiate during the biennial tournament, scheduled for April 27 – May 19, 2025.

Theophilus Akugre has been on the radar of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following successful training programs last year.

 In May 2024, Akugre traveled to Cairo alongside Reginald Collins Amoah and Seth Abletor for the new CAF/FIFA Referee Course.

This marks the second Ghanaian referee assigned to a tournament this year. Centre Referee Reginald Collins Amoah is currently in Morocco for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, where he officiated the match between Somalia and Tunisia on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.