Black Queens coach Björkegren praises team spirit ahead of England friendly

Black Queens head coach Kim Lars Björkegren says he is pleased with the energy, attitude, and overall output of his squad as they continue their training camp in Birmingham ahead of Tuesday high-profile friendly against England at St. Mary’s Stadium.

Speaking to the team’s media, Björkegren praised the strong spirit in camp and the quality shown in their early sessions.

“We had a short session, so maybe not too much to take away from it, but we played a good game twice, 45 minutes against a strong English side. We did well. We rotated the squad, and everyone got to play at least a little. As a coach, it’s essential to utilize the entire squad. Some players get 90 minutes every week at their clubs, others don’t, but they always return with good energy. They enjoy being together and believe in themselves.”

He added that the unity and commitment within the team remain key strengths as they prepare for future competitions.

The coach also spoke about facing England on Tuesday.

“We’re jumping into deep water to see if we can swim against the best team in the world,” Björkegren admitted. “It’s going to be tough, and we need to understand that. But we also know we have qualities. We may not be a top-five team yet, but we must challenge ourselves.”

He described the match as an important test of the team’s progress.

“Games like this may be the most difficult in the world right now, away against England will challenge us. We’ll see how good we are and what we must improve to climb the FIFA rankings and remain one of Africa’s top teams.”

The Black Queens have already secured qualification for the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco after completing a double over Egypt last month.