The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has been urged to explain why Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren has been placed in charge of the Black Stars on an interim basis while the women’s team continues its pursuit of major international targets.
Bjorkegren’s temporary appointment is intended to address the men’s team’s immediate technical needs ahead of their November assignment against Somalia. However, it has raised concerns over whether the GFA has fully considered the effect of the additional responsibility on the Black Queens and their Olympic qualification campaign.
The women’s team are targeting the 2028 Olympic Games, where Africa has only two qualification places. Ghana progressed after beating Mauritius 10-0 on aggregate, but their next tie against Zambia is scheduled for 23 February to 6 March, 2027.
That challenge will require detailed scouting, tactical preparation, player monitoring and clear leadership. The GFA must therefore explain how Bjorkegren’s commitments with the Black Stars will be managed without weakening the Black Queens’ preparations.
The issue is not necessarily whether Bjorkegren can coach both teams, but whether the association properly examined the workload, scheduling and competing demands before making the appointment. National-team management involves more than matchday duties, with the head coach responsible for selection, tactical identity, communication with clubs, injury assessments and long-term planning.
The GFA has not publicly detailed how it assessed alternative candidates for the interim Black Stars position or whether the Black Queens’ technical and administrative staff were consulted. If the existing women’s team coaches are expected to oversee preparations during periods of overlap, the association should set out their responsibilities and explain how Bjorkegren will remain involved.
Assistant coaches can supervise training and carry out delegated tasks, but the head coach retains responsibility for the overall footballing direction of the team. Clear coordination would therefore be required to ensure Ghana’s Olympic campaign does not lose momentum.
The Black Stars are entitled to competent leadership after a difficult period, and the GFA has the right to seek a coach capable of restoring confidence. But addressing the men’s immediate problems should not automatically take precedence over the ambitions of the Black Queens, who also represent Ghana at senior international level.
The women’s team’s broader objectives include pursuing opportunities at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Those ambitions require consistent preparation and tactical development, rather than occasional support after notable results.
Responsibility for the arrangement rests with the GFA, not Bjorkegren, and he should not be made a scapegoat. The central question concerns the planning behind the appointment and whether both national teams were treated with equal seriousness.
The success or failure of the Black Stars’ next match will not, by itself, determine whether the decision was sound. The GFA should instead be judged on whether both teams can prepare effectively, whether their technical responsibilities are clearly defined and whether the Black Queens receive the resources needed for Olympic qualification.
If the dual role cannot be shown to be workable, the association should consider appointing another qualified interim coach for the Black Stars. A separate appointment would not guarantee success, but it would allow Bjorkegren to focus fully on the Black Queens.
The GFA must provide a clear explanation of its safeguards and demonstrate that its search for an immediate solution for the Black Stars will not come at the expense of the women’s team’s international ambitions.
