WAFCON 2026: Ghana coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren confident Black Queens can contain Chawinga sisters

Black Queens coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren believes Ghana have the quality to contain Malawi’s dangerous Chawinga sisters when the two sides meet in the WAFCON 2026 quarter-finals on Sunday.

Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga have emerged among the standout performers at the tournament, combining for five goals during Malawi’s impressive group-stage campaign.

Their attacking threat will pose a major test for Ghana’s defence, but Björkegren insists his players have improved throughout the competition and are ready for the challenge.

Ghana advanced to the quarter-finals after finishing second in Group D following a 1-1 draw with Mali, while Malawi topped Group C after defeating defending champions Nigeria.

The Swedish coach acknowledged the quality of Malawi’s attack but believes Ghana should approach the knockout clash with confidence.

“Malawi have two players up front who are world class [Chawinga Sisters], so it’ll be tough for us. But we also believe in ourselves and we think we’ve improved since the tournament started.”

The Black Queens have already defeated Malawi 4-0 in a July friendly, although the Scorchers fielded a heavily altered squad for that encounter.

Björkegren will hope his defence can limit the space available to the Chawingas while the rest of the team maintains its attacking threat.

Victory would send Ghana into the semi-finals and secure their first FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification since 2007.