Black Queens Head Coach, Nora Hauptle, has articulated the team’s strong ambition to reclaim their status as Africa’s leading women’s football team and compete at the highest international level.
Since taking over as head coach in January 2023, the Swiss trainer has led the team to impressive victories, winning ten consecutive games before experiencing two losses.
In a discussion with the Japanese press ahead of an international friendly match against Japan on Saturday, July 13, 2024, Coach Hauptle highlighted the importance of facing strong opponents to gauge the team’s performance.
“Our mission is to get back to number one in Africa because in previous women’s tournaments, the Black Queens have been very successful, as seen in 1999, 2003, and 2007,” she stated.
Coach Hauptle emphasized the team’s historic achievements and their determination to reach those heights again.
“The team qualified for the World Cup at some point, and we want to bring ourselves back to this level,” she said.
The coach believes that competing against top-tier teams is crucial for the Black Queens’ development.
She also celebrated the team’s recent success, noting, “We are back in the Women’s African Cup of Nations, a huge achievement. As a team, it is important to measure ourselves against the top ten teams in the world.”
This upcoming match against Japan will serve as a critical test of their progress and readiness to reclaim their dominance in African women’s football.