Asantewaa magic leads Ghana to coveted WAFCON semis
Under the scorching sun at the Berkane Stadium on Saturday evening, Ghanaian midfielder Grace Asantewaa’s influence stretched across the pitch in a masterful performance that inspired the Black Queens to their first TotalEnergies WAFCON semifinals since 2016.
Nine years of waiting – impatiently. Asantewaa, who was in the squad at the 2018 edition at home that failed to make it out of the group stages, has found redemption. Finally. It has been a long journey of doubt, hope then doubt, and back to hope. Amidst it all, a love for Ghana.
“I am very, very, very happy. I have been preparing for this. Ghanaians have been preparing for this. We had to kill ourselves. It is time for us to win this WAFCON. And also, as an individual I want to win this WAFCON. I want my name to be in the history books in Ghana, in Africa and the world. I am very happy, and I know that Ghanaians are happy,” Asantewaa explains with an ear-to-ear smile while squinting her eyes.
Redemption ticked off to-do-list
The matchup against Algeria in the third quarterfinal was personal. She remembers the pain – emotionally, physically and psychologically of failing to make it to the knockout stages seven years ago. The backlash was brutal. The impact across the board felt like many in Ghana stepped away from the team including those who would have been the go-to support.
But like they say, “good things take time”. Asantewaa remembers wanting to give up. “I wanted to leave football. It was very tough. But my friends told me not to give up. My family too said they will support me no matter the case. And because of that I continued playing football. I continued preparing for our return to the WAFCON. Honestly, this feels really good. I’m happy.”
Like the great Queen Asantewaa of the Ashanti Empire [modern day Ghana], who was known to be a war leader that commanded Ashanti Kings in the War of the Golden Stool fighting to defend and protect the sovereignty of her people, Grace directed the Black Queens midfield and controlled the game therein throughout regular and extra time.
At some point, it looked like an orchestra. The conductor in her, dictated the frequency of the game, weaving passes in tandem with Jennifer Cudjoe. Asantewaa was not only relentless without the ball, but she also shaped Ghana’s approach against a stubborn and solid Algerian team that had not conceded a goal in the tournament.
Midfield Engine and Choir Leader
With the ball, she threaded passes upfront, to the wings, pushed forward to the 18-yard box while constantly getting involved in the communication between the defense and the offense. Asantewaa was relentless. Her heat map will impress many a game analyst.
Ghana head coach Kim Lars Björkegren is in cloud nine after this performance, “She has been stepping up in every game that we have been playing. It seems that if a game is more important, she is going to play even better. That’s really important for us. Both her and Cudjoe worked so hard. Normally, for a central midfielder, you cannot play 90 minutes or 120 minutes in a quarterfinal, but I couldn’t take out those two because they kept going and they did it so well especially Grace.”
The goalless draw motivated their resolve in the penalty shootout with Josephine Bonsu, Doris Boaduwaa, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, and Evelyn Badu converting from the spot to ensure a 4-2 deserved victory for the Black Queens. Ghana, who have now been involved in two penalty shootouts at the WAFCON, have won both. The result also means that the Black Queens have won three of their four games at the WAFCON to have gone to extra time.
Semifinals unlocked
Ghana have now reached their seventh WAFCON semifinal and will meet hosts Morocco at the grandeur Olympic Stadium in the capital Rabat on Tuesday, July 22 at 8pm (local time).
“We have done a very good job. We are going to the semifinals. We are not ending here. We are taking this mentality to the semifinals. I know for sure that we are going to win the trophy,” says the elated Asantewaa who cannot stop looking at the sky as if to thank the universe.
Asantewaa is one of four players that had featured at the WAFCON prior to this edition and wants to inspire Ghana to the final. The Black Queens have reached the WAFCON final three times in the past – 1998, 2002 and 2006, losing to archrivals Nigeria on all occasions.