Hasaacas Ladies at 2024 WAFU Zone B Qualifiers: Early exit, way forward

Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies' campaign in the 2024 WAFU Zone B Qualifiers in Côte d’Ivoire ended in disappointment, as they failed to progress beyond the group stage despite a resounding 6-1 victory over Benin’s AS Garde Nationale last Saturday at the Stade De La Paix, Bouaké.

The ‘Hasmal Ladies’ left it too late, with their emphatic win unable to save them from an early exit. Fatoumatou Tamboura scored to give the Ghanaians an early lead and went up 3-0 by the 30th-minute mark, but allowed their opponents to reduce the deficit to a 3-1 lead at half time.  

After recess Grace Animah, Comfort Owusu and Abigail Sakyiwaa registered their names on the score sheet for a 6-1 win. 

Early exit

They finished third in Group B after a goalless draw against Burkina Faso's Omnisports Etincelle and a 0-3 defeat to Nigeria’s Edo Queens.

Entering the competition with high expectations, the Ghanaian champions had previously secured the sole zonal slot in 2021 and went on to reach the final of the inaugural CAF

Women’s Champions League in Egypt, where they were defeated 2-0 by Mamelodi Sundowns. However, their strong credentials did not translate into success this year, as they finished

with four points, the same as Omnisports Etincelle, who advanced to the knockout phase on superior goal difference alongside group winners Edo Queens.

In the semi-finals, scheduled for August 19, Benin's Ainonvi FC will face Omnisports Etincelle, while Edo Queens will take on FC Inter d’Abidjan.

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Hasaacas Ladies’ underwhelming performance in Côte d’Ivoire can be largely attributed to the absence of their head coach and several key players. Coach Yussif Basigi, who led the team to their Champions League final appearance in 2021 and guided them to reclaim the Premier League title from Ampem Darkoa Ladies, was away on national duties with the Black

Princesses in preparation for the upcoming U-20 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Colombia. In his absence, assistant coach Emmanuel Kwesi Mensah took charge, but without some of the team’s key players, currently with the Black Princesses squad.

Under strength squad

Coach Mensah was without the services of the team’s top striker, Mukarama Abdulai, who missed the tournament due to injury, as well as influential players like Veronica Baah, Abiba Issah, and Mercy Attobrah, all with the national team.

Despite having experienced players such as goalkeeper Grace Banwaa and Philicity Asuako, alongside emerging talents like Rita Musah and Fatima Fuseini, Hasaacas Ladies lacked the firepower needed to overcome their group rivals, Omnisports Etincelle and Edo Queens. Their dominant 6-1 win in Bouaké last Saturday was ultimately too little, too late, as they needed a larger margin of victory to secure a spot in the semi-finals.

Following the match, Coach Mensah reflected on the team's disappointing early performances, which cost them a place in the tournament’s final four. “It has been a challenging tournament for us. We left it too late, dropped points we shouldn’t have, and conceded too many goals against Nigeria. In competitions like this, every point counts, and you need to compete from the start—you can’t afford to leave it until the end,” he said at the post-match press conference.

Hasaacas Ladies have enjoyed significant success in recent years, winning the Ghana Women’s Premier League five times (2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2024) and claiming the inaugural Women’s League title in the 2012-2013 season, which they retained for the next two seasons.

In 2021, they achieved a historic double by winning both the league and the Women’s FA Cup and represented Ghana in the first edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League, where they finished as runners-up.

In preparation for the WAFU B qualifiers, Hasaacas Ladies received substantial support from Nguvu Mining Limited and a generous $10,000 donation  Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. Despite this financial backing, the team's performance fell short of expectations, suggesting that funding was not the issue.