The Black Queens of Ghana have remained stagnant at the 66th position on the FIFA World Ranking for five months. The senior national women’s team has held this position since August 16, 2024. Coach Nora Hauptle’s side has not been in action since July 2024, when they faced top-ranked Japan in an international friendly.
After completing their qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in April, there have been six Type 1 international breaks available to all confederations. However, the Black Queens have only participated in one, as the leadership of the team, Ghana Football Association, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports have failed to arrange matches for the Queens.
This inactivity has significantly impacted the team’s preparation for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Despite the available breaks, the Black Queens were unable to capitalize on them, including the last-minute cancellation of their friendly match against Tunisia, which was scheduled for November 30 and December 3, due to a lack of funds from the Sports Ministry.
According to the 2024 FIFA rankings, the Queens have fallen five times this year, preventing them from breaking into the top 50 nations in the world. Ghana’s best position came in June 2008, when they were ranked 42nd. They have since dropped three places in March, one place in June, and one more in August. Any further decline could affect their seeding in future tournaments.
The Black Queens are among the 12 teams that will compete in the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, set to take place in Morocco from July 5 to 26, 2026. Ghana will start their campaign in Group C, alongside South Africa, Mali, and Tanzania. Meanwhile, Coach Hauptle’s team has been exempted from the first round, along with five other top-ranked teams: Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.
By Lawrencia Akosua Adjei
The post Black Queens struggling with inactivity as FIFA ranking stagnates first appeared on 3News.
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