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No need for fancy goals - Ghana coach draws plan to beat 'difficult' Algeria

Ghana's Black Queens coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren has ruled out spectacular strikes in favour of simple, effective football when his team takes on Algeria in Saturday's WAFCON quarterfinal. The Swedish manager believes his players need to be more clinical rather than attempting ambitious efforts fro...

Pulse Ghana

published: Jul 19, 2025

Ghana's Black Queens coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren has ruled out spectacular strikes in favour of simple, effective football when his team takes on Algeria in Saturday's WAFCON quarterfinal.

The Swedish manager believes his players need to be more clinical rather than attempting ambitious efforts from distance as Ghana chase a semifinal spot at the Stade Municipal de Berkane.

Speaking at Friday's pre-match press conference, he explained:

We can't just shoot from 45 meters and hope for the best. We need to create better chances and be clinical when those opportunities come; no need to look for fancy goals.

The match set to kick-off at 4PM local time today will see Ghana face what their coach describes as a well-drilled Algerian side that will prove tough to break down. Bjorkegren acknowledged:

Algeria are a really well-organised team, especially in defense, and they have a good goalkeeper. We've talked about the need to make it a little more difficult for her.

Ghana coach believes team can face difficult task

Despite his team conceding goals in all three group matches, Bjorkegren remains confident his players can step up when it matters most in the knockout rounds. He added:

It's going to be a difficult game, but I believe in the players. I'm sure they'll put in a good performance.

Ghana qualified for the quarterfinals with mixed results from the group stage, managing one victory, one draw and one defeat. The Black Queens will need to improve their defensive record if they want to progress further in the tournament.

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Saturday's match represents a crucial test for both teams, with the winner earning a place in the WAFCON semifinals. Ghana will be hoping their coach's pragmatic approach pays dividends against Algeria's organised defence.

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