Queens will be ready for WAFU tourney — Coach

Stand-in coach for the Black Queens, Mercy Tagoe Quarcoo, says the team will be in shape for the West African Football Union (WAFU) Championship to be held in Cote d’Iovire next month.

The Queens reported for camp last Monday and Tagoe Quarcoo was confirmed the interim coach following the departure of the substantive head, Mas-Ud Didi Dramani.

Speaking to the Graphic Sports, the coach said it was “a fresh challenge to be elevated into such an important job as handling the senior national team, but it will turn out well.”

“The situation was unexpected. It is not about me but the job to be done and it is an important but challenging task. I’ll make sure that I ask for and get all the help I feel I would require to ensure that we succeed.

“We have had our first meeting as a team and both technical and playing body have pledged their unflinching support. We have a common goal and that is to succeed. We will take it one day at a time,” the former Black Queens defender indicated.
Mercy, a retired player and a former FIFA referee who is having her first stint with a national team as a coach, indicated that the objective for camping had been clearly established and everyone called to camp at the Prampram-based Ghanaman Soccer School of Excellence had been made aware of the task ahead.

“Our first assignment will be to prepare for the WAFU tournament next month. We will make the most of the preparation time and, perhaps, double our work just so we will be ready,” she stressed.

All 25 players called to camp have reported and the first week has been basically used to assess the fitness and strength of the players as phase one of the intensive four-week schedule to prepare towards the WAFU tournament.

The Queens have been pitched in Group A for the WAFU tournament against hosts, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Niger. Their first game will be on February 14 against the hosts.