Olympic Games qualifiers: Black Queens play Zambia today
The Black Queens of Ghana will face it off with one of Africa’s football forces, Zambia, in the penultimate round of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games qualifiers today, February 23, 2024.
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The two-leg encounter will see the Ghanaians host Zambia at the Accra Sports Stadium, with the reverse fixture coming off at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola five days later.
The Black Queens began the 2024 Olympic qualifiers on a flying note with a 7-0 aggregate thumping of Guinea in July last year and a 5-0 aggregate record against Benin in October 2023.
Coach Nora Häuptle and her charges will be looking forward to clearing the Zambians from their path as they inch closer to a maiden Olympic berth. They will aim for a good win in the first leg match for an advantage in the return fixture to ensure progression to the final stage of the qualifiers.
Black Queens squad
Ghana's Swiss coach has included new players such as England-based Freda Ayisi of Charlton Athletic. She joined Charlton in 2022 and has been a phenomenal contributor in their quest to secure promotion to the English Women's Premier League, featuring in all 15 Championship games this season with a goal and an assist to her credit.
Ayisi, 29, brings a wealth of experience in club football, having previously featured for the women's sides of Arsenal and Birmingham.
The Black Queens squad have depth in talent with foreign-based players such as Philomena Abakah (Asa Tel Aviv), Evelyn Badu (Fleury 91), Doris Boaduwaa (Spartak Subotica), Jennifer Cudjoe (FC Nordsjaelland), Stella Nyamekye (Dreamz Ladies), Safiatu Salifu (Yanga Princesses), and AS FAR Rabat's Maafia Nyame, and Gifty Assifuah (1207 Antalya Spor) available for selection alongside home-based players such as Comfort Yeboah of Ampem Darkoa Ladies, Kerri McCarthy of Kumasi Sports Academy, and Hasaacas Ladies' Yakubu Firdaus.
Conspicuously missing from the squad is first-choice goalkeeper Cynthia Findiib Konlan, who was at the heart of the team's Olympic qualifiers as well as their qualification for the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Zambia challenge
Already, the Zambians have sent a strong message to the Ghanaians as their head Coach, Bruce Mwape, earlier announced his provisional squad for the fixture.
Coach Mwape has retained most of the players who completed the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualification task against Angola.
Green Buffaloes striker and runner Kabange Mupopo has returned to the Shepolopolo squad for the first time in eight years.
The squad includes goalkeeper Catherine Musonda (Hapoel Raanana Women FC-Israel), and defenders Natasha Kapombo (INDENI Roses), Tabo Miselo (National Assembly) and Martha Tembo (BIIK Kazygurt Shymkent-Kazakhstan).
Others are Comfort Selemani (Elite Ladies), Evarine Susan Katongo (Green Buffaloes), Rachael Kundananji (Madrid CFF-Spain), Barbra Banda (Shanghai Shengli-China) and Rachael Nachula (Hapoel Jerusalem-Israel).
Victory over the Zambians will see Ghana move to the fourth and final round where they will face off in a two-leg encounter with the winner of the clash between the North African rivals, Morocco and Tunisia.
