“I am hopeful we can have another good game on Monday” – Kim Lars Björkegren

The Black Stars returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Somalia in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign at the Essipong Sports Stadium in Takoradi on Thursday.

The result marked Ghana's first win since their defeats to Côte d'Ivoire and The Gambia in the previous qualifying matches, offering some relief after a difficult start to the campaign.

It was also a new beginning for the Black Stars following the dismissal of head coach Carlos Queiroz, with Kim Lars Björkegren taking charge as interim coach, assisted by Godwin Attram and Ibrahim Tanko.

Ghana made a winning return to the Essipong Sports Stadium for the first time in 17 years, with defender Jonas Adjetey among the goalscorers as the hosts secured all three points.

Despite the victory, Björkegren admitted his side were below their best in the opening half, pointing to the conditions in Takoradi as one of the factors behind their slow start.

"We were struggling a little bit. I don't know if the heat was too much, but the intensity was a bit low in the first half," he said after the game.

The interim coach, however, was pleased with the response after the break, believing Ghana showed greater energy and control as the game progressed.

"We raised our energy, entertained the fans and had good chances. Overall, we controlled the game, even if we did not take all our chances. I am happy for the win and hopeful we can have another good game on Monday," he added.

Björkegren also acknowledged areas that need improvement ahead of the return fixture, particularly Ghana's speed of play and efficiency in front of goal.

"I think we can play the ball a bit faster than we did, especially in the first half. But I respect the effort because the heat makes it not easy to play.

"Of course, we can improve on many aspects from today's game, especially in terms of taking our chances."

For Adjetey, the victory was made more memorable by his first goal for the senior national team.

The defender expressed his delight at finally getting on the scoresheet, crediting his teammates for their support.

"It feels amazing to score my first goal. I have been waiting for this moment for some time now. My teammates have been very supportive and I am glad that I had such an opportunity," he said.

The Black Stars defender also welcomed the clean sheet, insisting the team had worked to correct the defensive mistakes that contributed to their previous defeats.

"Unfortunately, we did our best in previous games but it did not go our way. The goals we conceded in the first two games had nothing to do with any individual or anything like that, but we have corrected our mistakes and it was good to keep a clean sheet today," he added.

The victory gives Björkegren a positive start to his interim tenure, although attention will quickly turn to Monday's encounter as Ghana look to build on the result and maintain their momentum in Group C.