Ghana's Hasaacas Ladies will face off against Nigeria's Edo Queens in their second Group B match of the WAFU Zone B Women's Champions League qualifiers today, August 14. The match kicks off at 4 pm at the Stade de la Paix de Bouake.
The five-time Ghana Women's Premier League champions are eager to get back to winning form after their 0-0 draw against Burkinabe side Omnisports Etincelle in their opening game last Sunday, also held at the Stade de la Paix de Bouake.
While Hasaacas Ladies are coming off a scoreless draw, Edo Queens had a dominant 5-0 victory over AS Garde National in their previous encounter.
Ahead of the match, Hasaacas Ladies’ assistant coach Emmanuel Kwesi Mensah is optimistic about his team overcoming any challenges posed by their opponents and securing a victory.Coach Mensah declined to compare the current squad with the team that competed in the inaugural WAFU B Champions League qualifiers in 2021.
"I am of the opinion that the past belongs to the past. I don't dwell so much on the past," he said following the team's 0-0 draw with Omnisports Etincelle in their opening game. We came here with our own expectations; that we have high standards and we have to win. It doesn't matter the results that came two years ago," he said at a pre-match press conference.
He continued: "They had different crop of players. We have different crop of players and for me, we were looking forward to a win which like I said, I am very disappointed because we have a very good standard. Even the draw could have been a good result for us but because of our standards, I will that I am not too impressed."
Having wrapped up their preparations for today's crucial game on Tuesday, Hasaacas Ladies will benefit from the return of Felicity Asuako and Grace Animah, who missed the first fixture.
A victory for Hasaacas Ladies would see them move ahead of Edo Queens, who currently lead with three points from their previous game.
Hasaacas Ladies have had a remarkable trajectory of growth in the Ghanaian women's football history. They first won the inaugural edition of the Ghana Women's League in 2012-2013, before retaining their title the following two seasons.
In 2021, they achieved a historic double by winning both the league and the national cup. That year, they also represented Ghana in the first edition of the CAF Women's Champions League where they lost in the final to Mamelodi Sundowns by a 2-0 margin.