Ghana secured a 2-0 victory over Somalia at the Essipong Stadium on Thursday, recording their first win in Group C after opening the qualifying campaign with defeats to Ivory Coast and The Gambia.
However, despite the victory, Bjorkegren believes his team could have been more clinical, having created several opportunities, including a missed penalty by captain Jordan Ayew.
The Swedish coach was particularly unhappy with Ghana's performance during the middle stages of the first half, when he felt the team slowed the tempo and allowed Somalia too much time on the ball.
“I think we had a good start of the game, we had a couple of good chances, of course, the penalty, we missed it. After that, I felt that we were struggling a little bit. I don't know if the heat was too much, but the tempo was pretty low. We used too many touches, I think we gave Somalia a little bit of time,” he said.
Bjorkegren, however, was pleased with how the Black Stars finished the first half and their dominance after the break, insisting the result could have been more convincing.
“In the second half, I think it's only one team on the pitch. I think it's a game that can finish 2-3-4-0, but the most important thing today was the three points, so I'm very happy with them,” he added.
Ghana scored through defender Jonas Adjetey and forward Felix Afena-Gyan, but missed several opportunities to extend their advantage.
The interim head coach believes the experience of playing Somalia in the first meeting will help his team prepare better for Monday's return fixture, particularly as Ghana had limited information about their opponents before Thursday's encounter.
“I absolutely think that we can do a second good game as well. We didn't have that much information about Somalia, so the good thing is when you have played a team like this, that you know them better for sure into the second one,” he said.
Bjorkegren also expressed confidence that Ghana can reproduce the energy and attacking football they showed in the second half to secure another victory.
“It's football, you never know, but I think how we played in the second half, we bring that energy, and how we played, I think it was a good football. We were entertaining the fans, we had more chances, and we played pretty well.
“I think we had total control in the end. It was a safe three points in the end, even if, like I said, we maybe missed a couple of chances, especially the penalty. It is what it is. But overall, I'm happy with what the boys did, and I'm pretty sure we can do the same thing here in a few days again.”
Ghana will meet Somalia again on Monday, November 16th, at the Essipong Stadium, looking to build on their first victory and claim another three points in their bid to qualify for the 2027 AFCON.
