AWCON 2018: Queens coach insists there can’t be any excuse if team fails to win trophy

Bashir Hayford, head coach of the female national team of Ghana, Black Queens, has said there cant be any excuse for the team to fail in the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON).

The Queens would play in their first game against the Fenneces of Algeria at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday, November 17 at 15:30 GMT in the Group A opener.

The Fennecs are returning into the competition for the first time since Namibia 2014 and have never gone beyond the group level in all of her four previous appearances.

Coach Hayford is hoping to be the first coach to win the competition for the Queens, with the team’s best performance ending in a runners up position on three occasions (1998, 2002, 2006).

However, the gaffer for the Queens insists there couldn’t have been a perfect time for the team to write his than winning the coverted trophy on home soil.

“We are going to write a history for the Queens because they have never won this cup before. I will need this International tournament to boost my CV and status as I have won the cups that are expected to be won locally.”

“We would kill two birds with one stone thus, we’ll host and win this tournament and qualify for the FIFA World Cup,” he added.

He said the current crop of Black Queens players were different from any other squad, adding that there was positive feeling in the team's camp.