With the 2020 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers approaching, both Ghana women’s national football team and Kenya women’s national football team are using a break in their schedules to compete in the Turkish Women’s Cup — an international invitational tournament held this year in Alanya from March 2 to 11, 2020.
The Turkish Women’s Cup brings together a mix of national teams from across different confederations, offering competitive match practice ahead of major qualifiers and tournaments. Although the exact format can vary, the 2020 edition featured several invited sides playing friendlies and round‑robin matches at venues around Alanya.
For this year’s tournament, Ghana and Kenya are the only African representatives, joining teams from Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Ghana and Kenya were both placed in Group B, which also includes Chile and Northern Ireland B. Meanwhile, teams such as Romania, Hungary, and Hong Kong featured in Group A of the tournament.
Ghana’s senior women’s side, the Black Queens, traveled to Alanya fully focused on sharpening their competitive edge ahead of the AWCON qualifying campaign. Their schedule in the group stage saw them face Chile, Northern Ireland B, and Kenya in succession, with the matches offering both tactical tests and opportunities to build cohesion.
Kenya’s Harambee Starlets also used the Turkish Women’s Cup as valuable preparation. They secured a 2‑0 victory over Northern Ireland and earned a respectable third‑place finish in the overall standings, demonstrating growth and resilience against international opposition. Starlets midfielder Sheryl Angachi was even named the tournament’s best midfielder, highlighting Kenya’s positive performance in Alanya.
The experience gained in Turkey is widely viewed as beneficial for both African teams. Playing against non‑African opponents with differing styles of play helps the players and coaching staff gauge fitness, tactics, and squad depth ahead of the more intense continental qualifiers. For Ghana and Kenya, competing in the Turkish Women’s Cup has provided match practice at a competitive level that complements their preparations for crucial AWCON ties.
Overall, the Turkish Women’s Cup serves as an important prelude to major competitions, giving participating teams a platform to refine their tactics, test player combinations, and build confidence against international opposition before returning to action in Africa’s qualification battles.
