Black Queens face unsure future as Nora Hauptle considers Zambia swap
The progress of the Black Queens may very well be set a decade again if certainly Swiss coach Nora Hauptle leaves and takes up the Copper Queens job in Zambia.
The UEFA Pro License coach was a breath of contemporary air for Ghana’s unappealing senior ladies’s nationwide crew. Hauptle gave an identification to the Black Queens.
Nora helped flip the Queens right into a product traders would put a fortune in. Her first job in Ghana was as a technical advisor, complementing the work of Ben Fokuo forward of the U-20 Costa Rica Women’s World Cup. Although the crew didn’t progress out of the group stage, it was shocking when she was later appointed head coach of the Black Queens.
Before her appointment, Mercy Tagoe had been axed from the function after failing to qualify the crew for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, which in flip meant the Black Queens missed out on the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The crew was affected by instability, participant revolts, and managerial crises, with no mild in sight. Change was inevitable.
Nora’s appointment signaled a contemporary begin. She was tasked with constructing a aggressive crew via a collection of preparatory video games. Her first main initiative was “Mission Volta.” In her introductory interview with the GFA media crew, she outlined her targets:
“We are well aware of that and so we created the new mission called ‘Volta.’ Volta is a big river in Ghana, and it is a Portuguese word that means ‘turn.’ So now with my appointment, we want to make the turn towards success again. Of course, it is not just happening. We need high commitment from the President, all the leaders, the Technical Director, and the Ghana FA, hoping they will support us and provide all the necessary investments so we can fulfill this.”
Nora’s first 4 video games had been in opposition to Benin, Senegal, and Guinea. The crew gained all 4 matches, scoring 10 targets with out conceding. Hauptle gave the crew a transparent identification, and gamers exhibited confidence on the sector. They even articulated their roles and tactical understanding in media interviews. The crew was a delight to look at.
Over 11 matches, the crew recorded 10 wins and one loss in opposition to Zambia. They scored 34 targets and conceded solely two. Despite narrowly lacking out on a ticket to the Olympics, the crew’s progress was evident. Stability had returned to the Black Queens, who had been as soon as once more a horny proposition to followers and traders. At one level, there was even a public name for Hauptle to take over the Black Stars’ teaching job.
The upward trajectory of the Black Queens made it simpler for the authorities to assist them. However, as historical past has proven, Ghanaian feminine gamers usually face systemic neglect. Before the ultimate spherical of Olympic qualifiers, the Queens staged a protest demanding unpaid allowances from earlier matches. For the primary time, no participant was victimized, and Hauptle stood firmly behind her crew. The Ministry finally paid the arrears, however the protest marked the start of deeper points.
While South Africa, Nigeria, and Morocco remained energetic throughout worldwide breaks in 2024, taking part in 15, 12, and 10 matches respectively, the Black Queens performed solely three, together with two Olympic qualifiers in opposition to Zambia and a pleasant in opposition to Japan. Budgetary points exacerbated the state of affairs.
The technical crew had organized friendlies in opposition to Senegal and Tunisia, however the $40,000 price range was not permitted. Authorities reportedly centered on the Black Stars’ failure to qualify for the AFCON, sidelining the Queens’ wants. Hauptle expressed her frustration on LinkedIn, writing:
“I believe that success is built over continuous development steps of the performance. Providing as [a] national team for our players as many high-performance game exposures as possible is key. Through these game experiences, we can work, learn, and grow as individuals and as a team. The difference in the number of games played in 2024 is huge between the participating teams of the WAFCON.”
Hauptle’s contract expires this month, and renewal negotiations have been ongoing for months. Reports recommend she has rejected the FA’s new supply. During the Olympic qualifiers, she sought a mortgage to Zambia, however the request was denied.
If Hauptle leaves, will probably be a monumental problem to maintain the progress she initiated. While she isn’t irreplaceable, ladies’s soccer is not an area for volunteerism. Any successor would require important funding to keep up the crew’s momentum. If the authorities are unwilling to put money into an skilled coach, it’s unlikely they’ll negotiate in good religion with a brand new one.
Ultimately, it should not come to cross that choices by these in energy trigger Ghanaian feminine footballers, who’ve labored tirelessly, to overlook out on a aggressive alternative at Morocco 2025.
