Black Queens coach Nora Hauptle has expressed her satisfaction with her players stating that they can't be blamed for failing to qualify for the next round of Olympic Games qualifiers.
In a bitter twist of fate, the Black Queens faced heartbreak as they were eliminated from the 2024 Olympic Games qualifiers by Zambia. Despite a valiant effort, the team fell short, and Nora Hauptle, while acknowledging the disappointment, expressed her unwavering support and pride in her players.
Addressing the media after the intense encounter, Hauptle reflected on the match, stating, "We offered them a little bit of a better start, but I think we worked back into the game, and it was all open. In the last minute, we had 2, 3 chances, shots getting blocked."
Despite the outcome, Hauptle refused to lay blame on her team, emphasizing, "I cannot blame my team; they haven't done anything wrong. It was all good. Finally, at the last minute, a free kick, yes, it is football, so I don't blame my team. I don't think a lot of things went wrong."
The initial clash at the Accra Sports Stadium set the tone for a challenging series, with Zambia securing a narrow 1-0 victory, putting Ghana on the defensive early on. Hauptle, however, maintained optimism, believing her team had the resilience to overturn the result in the return leg.
The return leg in Ndola turned out to be a fiercely contested battle, resulting in a 3-3 draw with Zambia. Unfortunately, the aggregate score of 4-3 favored Zambia, sealing Ghana's fate and dashing their hopes of progressing to the next round of the Olympic qualifiers.