We're still hurting for not qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games - Black Queens Midfielder Azumah Bugre

Azumah Bugre, midfielder for the Black Queens, has spoken out about the lasting disappointment experienced by her teammates after their devastating elimination from the Olympic Games qualifiers against Zambia.

The match, in which Barbara Banda's late goal secured Zambia's victory at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, remains a vivid memory for the Ghanaian squad.

Looking back on the defeat five months later, Bugre conveyed the team's enduring sadness over missing the opportunity to make history with their first Olympic appearance.

"Regarding Zambia's game, we've been feeling sorrowful for a very long time now because it was one of our goals; to qualify for the Olympics. And we couldn't achieve that," she stated.

Despite Princella Adubea's absence from the squad during the crucial match, she echoed Bugre's sentiments.

"We planned together but unfortunately we couldn't make it. I wasn't part of the team but I had faith in my teammates. Unfortunately, you can't win it all in football, you win and lose sometimes and I believe that will motivate us to develop ourselves for the future and be able to overcome Zambia if we face them again," she said.

The Black Queens departed Ghana on Sunday for Japan ahead of the friendly game at the Kanazawa Go Go Curry Stadium on Saturday, July 13, 2024.