How can Ghana’s Black Queens return to African women’s elite?

Ghana were pioneers when it came to women’s football in Africa, with the Black Queens’ early years making it look like the side would always be continental heavyweights.

After playing their first international in 1991, a valiant and skilful squad was graced with players like Alberta Sackey, Genevieve Clottey and Adjoa Bayor and enjoyed success in its first decade.

Runners-up in three of the first five editions of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), the Black Queens also featured at three successive World Cups.

“When we started women’s football here in Ghana, many countries hadn’t yet started,” Habiba Atta, who founded the country’s first women’s club and spearheaded the birth of the national side, told BBC Sport Africa.

“It was after we began that others caught on.”

Although Ghana did not win major silverware, supporters found solace in the team’s style of play.

However, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) failed to capitalise on the momentum or build a strong structure for the team, meaning performances on the continental stage began to dip from 2008 onwards.

A third-placed finish at Wafcon in 2016 was the highlight amidst four group-stage exits out of five – one of which came about on home soil in 2018.

In recent years, the likes of Morocco, current Wafcon holders South Africa and Zambia have all invested hugely in women’s football, so leaving the Queens to hark back to former glories for comfort.

After being eliminated by arch-rivals Nigeria in qualifying, Ghana were absent from this year’s Wafcon – which also determines Women’s World Cup qualification – in Morocco and so will miss next year’s finals in Australia and New Zealand.

The question is: where did Ghana go wrong in building on the foundations that Atta imposed?