The Black Queens’ preparations for the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) have been thrown into disarray after former head coach Nora Hauptle signed a three-year contract with Zambia, leaving Ghana without a coach just six months before the tournament.
Hauptle, who led the Black Queens to WAFCON qualification in November 2023 with a hard-fought 3-2 aggregate victory over Namibia, saw her contract with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) expire on December 31, 2024. The GFA has since reassigned her assistants, Charles Sampson and Anita Wiredu, to the U-20 women’s team as head coach and assistant coach, respectively, leaving the senior team’s technical bench vacant.
In a statement, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) expressed optimism about Hauptle’s appointment. “We are excited to announce Nora Hauptle as the new Zambia Women’s National Team coach. We believe she has the pedigree to take us to the next level,” said FAZ General Secretary Rueben Kamanga.
Ghana’s Black Queens, drawn in Group C alongside Mali, Tanzania, and South Africa, now face an uphill battle to prepare adequately for the tournament without a head coach at the helm.
