Head Coach of the Black Queens of Ghana, Mercy Tagoe-Quarcoo has disclosed that with the current COVID-19 pandemic rampaging the world, her team is quite shaken and it may not be best for them to compete in any tournament.
To her, it would be best for the Total Africa Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) to be rescheduled to a later date where the safety of her ‘girls’ can be completely assured.
She raised her concerns in virtual sports discussion on Happy 98.9 FM’s ‘Happy Sports’ show hosted by Ohene Brenya-Bampoe on the topic; ‘‘The Effects of COVID-19 on football: The perspectives of Ghanaian coaches’
“Looking at how the world has suffered from the pandemic it will be difficult to hold the AWCON. My girls are psychologically shaken by the pandemic and the situation keeps getting worse.”
She revealed that players of the Black Queens are fearful at the moment and it will be difficult to even have them in camps for training. “The girls even fear to visit their friends to even talk about getting them to camps for training.”
On her authority, if the only way to assure the safety of her players was the postponement of the championship, then she is all for it. “If we can wait and have the tournament next year to protect the players from contracting the virus, I am for that.”
Coupled with the fact that the qualifiers for the tournament did not come off, coach Quarcoo deems it smart for organizers of the Africa Women Cup of Nations to hold the tournament next year.
The Total Africa Women Cup of Nations (known as the African Women’s Championship until 2015) is an international women’s football competition held every two years and sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
This year’s tournament was scheduled to be held in the Republic of the Congo.
By: Joel Sanco
