Basigi: A Man On Mission For Women’s Football

Ever since he embarked on his journey as a coach in women’s football, Yusif Basigi has been on a relentless mission to carve his name in the annals of the sport. This fervent determination drives him to ensure success for the teams under his guidance whether at the club level or on the international stage.

Coach Basigi’s track record speaks volumes about his commitment to his mission. During his tenure with Ghana’s women’s senior national team from 2015 to 2016, the Black Queens experienced remarkable success, clinching victories in nearly all their matches, including securing the gold medal at the 2015 African Games in Brazzaville. Even the lone loss suffered during this period, a narrow 0-1 defeat to Cameroun in the semi-finals of the 2016 Women’s African Cup of Nations in Cameroun, did little to tarnish his record.

Transition

Transitioning to the Under-20 female national team, the coach continued to leave an indelible mark. Under his leadership, the Black Princesses boasted an impressive record, winning 15 out of 17 matches within the past year, with two ending in draws. Notably, they emerged victorious in the inaugural West Africa Football Union (WAFU) Zone B Under-20 tournament, triumphing over formidable opponents such as Nigeria in a thrilling final decided by penalties.

During the 2024 Under-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers, Basigi led the Princesses to qualify, winning all six matches played in the three-round home and away encounters.

Coach Basigi’s influence extended beyond domestic accolades, as Hasaacas Ladies became the first team to win four trophies consecutively in Ghana in 2021, further cementing his legacy as a trailblazer in women’s football.

Latest exploit

The latest chapter in Basigi’s storied career came with the gold medal victory at the 13th African Games in Accra, where he led the Princesses to a resounding triumph over Nigeria in the final. En route to the final, the Princesses beat Ethiopia (1-0), and Tanzania (2-1), drew with Uganda (1-1) and defeated Senegal (3-1) in the semi-finals.

This historic achievement not only reaffirmed Basigi’s status as a pioneering figure in African football but also marked him as the first coach to claim two gold medals at the African Games (Black Queens in 2015, and Black Princesses in 2023).

Despite his numerous accomplishments, Basigi remains grounded, driven by a deep-seated desire to elevate African women’s football onto the global stage. He is acutely aware of the challenges facing the sport and is steadfast in his commitment to overcoming them, firmly establishing women’s football as a force to be reckoned with.

“Many people thought women’s football was a fluke, so at every given opportunity, we have to prove to them that it is here to stay, ” Coach Basigi said.

Mission Colombia

Looking ahead, Basigi has already set his sights on the next big challenge: leading Ghana at the 2024 U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia from August 31 to September 22.

Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroun and Morocco are the four African countries participating in the tournament expanded to 24 teams.

With his sights set on surpassing previous performances, the coach is determined to guide the Black Princesses to unprecedented success in a tournament expanded to include 24 nations. Armed with his wealth of experience, having led Ghana at the 2008 edition in France, Basigi is poised to lead his team to victory once again, leaving an indelible mark on the world stage.

“I have presented my training programme to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and hopefully, if we get the kind of preparation we want, we can do better than we have done previously.

“The teams which beat us at the World Cup are not better than us, with regards to player quality. Often, it is the preparation and the exposure that they get that make the difference.

“If the Maidens were able to achieve results at the 2012 U-17 Women’s World in Azerbaijan, we should also be able to do the same. Now we have no excuse because our players have the exposure, what we will add to that is quality preparation and Colombia will also be ‘mission possible’,” Coach Basigi emphasised.

Source: graphic.com.gh