GFA Names Björkegren Interim Black Stars Coach For Somalia Games

The Ghana Football Association has appointed Black Queens coach Kim Lars Björkegren to lead the interim Black Stars technical team for the November 2026 AFCON qualifiers against Somalia.

According to a report published by ModernGhana on October 20, 2026, Ghana Football Association Communications Director Henry Asante Twum says Kim Lars Björkegren is ready to take on the challenge of leading the interim Black Stars technical team while continuing as head coach of the Black Queens. The Swedish coach has been appointed to lead the Black Stars for their back-to-back matches against Somalia in the third and fourth rounds of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Ghana are bottom of Group C without a point after opening their campaign with defeats against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, prompting the departure of former coach Carlos Queiroz. However, Asante Twum says Björkegren has welcomed the opportunity to lead the senior men’s team and is eager to test himself in the role. He loves the challenge. At least, I spent the day with him, and I know he is ready to take it on. He also feels that it is time to test himself, he told TV3. Björkegren will work alongside Ibrahim Tanko and Godwin Attram as assistant coaches, with Fatawu Dauda appointed goalkeepers’ coach.

According to a report published by GhanaSoccernet on October 20, 2026, Ghana Football Association Communications Director Henry Asante Twum has explained the criteria used to select Kim Lars Björkegren to lead the interim Black Stars technical team for the November 2026 international window. The decision to appoint the Swedish coach, who currently handles the Black Queens, has attracted attention because of his existing responsibilities with Ghana’s women’s national team. However, Asante Twum said the selection process focused on continuity, coaches working in the Ghana Premier League, and technical expertise within the country’s national team structure. So, the first consideration was institutional memory and continuity. The second was to look within the Ghana Premier League. The third was to look at the national team structure, assess all our national teams and identify coaches handling them who had the competence and quality to join the technical team. They settled on Kim, he told TV3.

According to a report published by GhanaSoccernet on October 20, 2026, former Ghana international Nii Odartey Lamptey has backed the decision to appoint an interim technical team for the Black Stars’ upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Somalia. Ghana are hoping to return to the continental tournament after missing the 2025 edition in Morocco, but their qualification campaign has started poorly, leaving their hopes of reaching the 2027 finals under pressure. The Black Stars lost 2-0 to Ivory Coast in Bouake before suffering a 4-2 defeat by The Gambia at the Accra Sports Stadium, results that preceded the departure of head coach Carlos Queiroz. Following Queiroz’s resignation, the Ghana Football Association and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation established a five-member committee to oversee the search for his successor. The authorities have since settled on an interim technical team to handle Ghana’s Matchday Three and Four fixtures against Somalia in November.

According to a report published by Ghanamma on October 19, 2026, Manchester City attacker Antoine Semenyo will be unavailable for Ghana’s double-header against Somalia in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in November due to injury. The Black Stars are scheduled to face Somalia in matchday three and four of the AFCON qualifiers, but their preparations for the crucial encounters have suffered a major setback with Semenyo ruled out for eight weeks. The Ghana international picked up a knee injury late in Manchester City’s 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town in the English Premier League on Saturday. Semenyo made a substitute appearance for Manchester City in the encounter, replacing Belgian-Ghanaian forward Jeremy Doku in the 77th minute before suffering the injury. Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca confirmed the extent of the injury, revealing that the attacker could be out of action until December.

This report is based on verified publications by ModernGhana on October 20, 2026, GhanaSoccernet on October 20, 2026, GhanaSoccernet on October 20, 2026, and Ghanamma on October 19, 2026.

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