Black Queens cruise past Mauritius to take control of Olympic tie
Update, October 15: The second leg was played at the Essipong Stadium in Sekondi rather than the Accra Sports Stadium as originally reported. The Black Queens won 7-0 to progress 10-0 on aggregate.
After a difficult few weeks for Ghanaian football, the Black Queens delivered some welcome good news. Kim Lars Björkegren's side beat Mauritius 3-0 in the first leg of their 2028 Olympic Games qualifier on Thursday, putting them firmly in control of the tie before next week's return match.
Three first-half goals
The game was effectively settled before the break at the Côte d'Or National Sports Complex. Ghana took the lead in the 16th minute when Stella Nyamekye was released down the right and delivered a low cross for Abigail Kim to finish from close range, according to Adomonline.
Alice Kusi doubled the advantage in the 24th minute. Then, in first-half stoppage time, Benedicte Simon struck a superb long-range effort into the top corner to make it 3-0. GhanaWeb reports it was Simon's first goal for the Black Queens.
Control after the break
Mauritius improved in the second half and limited Ghana's chances, but never seriously threatened to get back into the game. Björkegren used the comfortable lead to rotate, bringing on Nancy Amoh, Josephine Bonsu and Zakaria Ajegepina as the Black Queens saw out a clean sheet.
New faces get their chance
It was also a significant night for some of the squad's newer members. According to GhanaWeb, Afi Amenyeku started in goal, while Margaret Agyapomaa, one of two first-time call-ups from the Black Princesses, and Diana Amoako were handed their first starts for the senior national team.
What Ghana need in the return leg
The return leg takes place on Tuesday, October 13. With a three-goal cushion, the Black Queens can afford to lose by up to two goals and still progress on aggregate.
Winning the tie would take Ghana into the next stage of African qualifying. According to GhanaSoccernet, this is the second of five knockout rounds, meaning there is still a long road to Los Angeles. Ghana's women have never qualified for the Olympic football tournament.
A wider Olympic push
The result comes as Ghana's sporting authorities step up their Olympic planning. The Ghanaian Times reports that the Ghana Olympic Committee this week met the management of the Black Queens and the technical leadership of the Black Meteors, the men's Under-23 side, to agree a structured plan to end the country's long absence from Olympic football.
Elsewhere in African qualifying, Kenya made a statement of their own, thrashing Seychelles 11-0 in their first leg, according to Africasoccer.
For the Black Queens, Thursday's win was exactly the kind of performance they needed. Now the job is to finish it off in front of their own supporters.
Photo: Celestinesucess / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0