Ghana Football Association (GFA) Communications Director Henry Asante Twum says Kim Lars Bjorkegren is prepared to lead the interim Black Stars technical team while remaining head coach of the Black Queens.
The Swedish coach has been placed in temporary charge of Ghana’s senior men’s side for their two matches against Somalia in the third and fourth rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Ghana are bottom of Group C without a point after losing their opening games against Cote d’Ivoire and The Gambia. Those results led to the departure of former coach Carlos Queiroz.
Asante Twum says Bjorkegren has welcomed the opportunity and wants to assess himself at senior men’s international level.
“He loves the challenge. At least, I spent the day with him, and I know he is ready to take it on. He also feels that it is time to test himself,” he told TV3.
Bjorkegren’s interim coaching team will include Ibrahim Tanko and Godwin Attram as assistant coaches, while Fatawu Dauda has been appointed goalkeepers’ coach.
The 44-year-old will continue to oversee the Black Queens, who are preparing for their FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying play-offs. Asante Twum believes the timing of the international fixtures will allow Bjorkegren to fulfil both roles without the matches overlapping.
“The Black Stars and Black Meteors’ games will run from the early part of November to the middle of the month. The Black Queens’ games will be at the end of November and into the first week of December,” he said on TV3’s Sports Station programme.
He said the separation between the fixtures would give the coach sufficient time to move between the men’s and women’s national teams.
“While the women are playing, the men are on a break, and when the men resume, the women also have their turn,” Asante Twum added.
Bjorkegren already has experience of working within the Black Stars setup. He was previously one of Otto Addo’s assistants during preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, including friendly matches against Austria and Germany.
His temporary appointment gives him the chance to lead Ghana’s senior men’s team as they attempt to recover their AFCON qualifying campaign. The matches against Somalia will be his first games in charge of the Black Stars.
Asante Twum has called on Ghanaians to support Bjorkegren during his period with the men’s team before his focus returns to the Black Queens.
