Black Queens End Senegal Tour with Narrow Loss in Second Friendly

The Black Queens wrapped up their international training tour in Senegal with a 1-0 defeat to the Teranga Lionesses on Tuesday, bringing their two-match friendly series to an even split.

Ghana had edged Senegal 1-0 in the first encounter last week, but the hosts returned the favour in the second leg, snatching a late winner to hand head coach Kims Lars Bjorkegren his second loss in charge.

Bjorkegren, who is still experimenting with his squad ahead of the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), made five changes to his starting lineup for the second game. Nina Norshie, Justice Tweneboah, Ernestina Abambila, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, and Princella Adubea were all handed starts.

Senegal came out with intensity, applying early pressure and dominating the physical battles throughout the first half. Ghana found it difficult to create clear-cut chances but did well to keep the score level going into halftime.

In a bid to shake things up in the second half, goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan was replaced by Kerrie McCarthy. The Black Queens showed more urgency and managed to create a couple of promising moments. Boye-Hlorkah came close to scoring, while Abambila stood out defensively with a key intervention.

However, with the match seemingly headed for a draw, Senegal capitalised on a late lapse in concentration to net the only goal in the 90th minute—sealing victory for the hosts.

The result leaves Ghana with one win and two defeats in three matches under the new leadership of Bjorkegren.

These friendlies form part of the team’s build-up to the postponed 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, now scheduled for July in Morocco, where Ghana hopes to make a strong impression under their new technical direction.