Mercy Tagoe-Quarcoo confident Ghana can overcome hosts Morocco

It is difficult to talk about Ghanaian Football without bringing up the name Mercy Tagoe-Quarcoo. A former Black Queens player who graduated to being a referee before becoming the first female head coach of the nation’s national team, Tagoe is a living legend.  

Her contribution to the beautiful game in Ghana and beyond will forever be present in history books and while she is no longer in charge of the Black Queens, her thoughts and wishes are with the Ghanaian side that takes on the hosts Morocco in the second semifinal at the ongoing TotalEnergies WAFCON 2024 at the grandeur Olympic Stadium in Rabat on Tuesday. 

The Black Queens return to the WAFCON semifinals for the first time since 2016 with one objective – a slot in the coveted final on Satuday, July 26 at the same venue. CAFOnline caught up with Tagoe for insight into this must-win fixture for the Black Queens. 

What should Ghana’s tactical blueprint be to neutralize Morocco’s possession-based style and home advantage?

First of all, the Queens must apply high pressing in the middle third to disturb Morocco's possession base style in order to disorganise their pattern of play. The Queens must keep a compact mid-block by maintaining a tight defensive shape and also close down the spaces in between the lines. They must use their physical strength (Princess Marfo) and aggressive approach to disorganise Morocco’s tactical and technical players. The Moroccan team has aerial deficit, so the Queens must capitalise on that whenever they win free kicks in the final third or even cornerkicks (set pieces). The Black Queens must keep their defensive line compact in order not to allow Moroccan players Ghizlane Chebbak, Ibtissam Jraidi, Najat Badri and Fatima Tagnaout to exploit the spaces.

Doris Boaduwaa and Evelyn Badu have shown flashes of brilliance — how critical is their role in breaking down Morocco’s defensive organization?

As creative as Evelyn is in the midfield, she must use her passing and movement abilities to open the Moroccan compact middle block to create spaces in their defensive shape, and that will enable her to shoot to score. Doris is a dribbler and has the pace, so during transition to attack, she can stretch Morocco’s defensive line and exploit the spaces behind.

Ghana has had to fight hard to reach this stage after missing the last edition. What does this semifinal mean for the team’s redemption arc and legacy?

Getting to this stage for me is an important step of restoration of pride. It also symbolises RESILIENCE, GROWTH, and also announcing our RETURN to continental football. This is a remarkable redemption arc for Ghana's international Women's Football especially missing the last edition of the WAFCON. This will go a long way to inspire the next generation of female football players in Ghana. 

Having experienced top-level African Football, what’s the psychological key to handling a partisan crowd and a host team in a high-stakes match?

For me, I want the Black Queens to see that hostile atmosphere as a motivation. They should focus, keep mental composure, stay united, and stick to the game plan. They must block out that part of their minds from crowd pressure. Ghana is solidly behind them.

Morocco has developed tactically since their WAFCON 2022 final run — how do you assess Ghana’s preparedness to counter their evolution?

Comparatively, Ghana is tactically sharper and more cohesive than the previous years, considering the (three) defensive structure, (five) midfield balance, and (two) attacking fluidness. For me, the Black Queens are well exposed to these high-level competitions, have world-class players who play in top flight competitions in Europe, so they are equipped enough to adapt in-game to match Morocco's tactical maturity and disorganise their rhythm effectively and efficiently. 

What would your rallying message be to the Black Queens in the tunnel before kickoff?

Girls, this is the moment! Go play your heart out, believe in yourselves, and fight with pride! 

Block out the noise! Be motivated by the thoughts of your families, your pears back home, and Ghana as a whole. Leave a legacy, and let's make history! Go Queens Go Ghana! YES!