Inside the Decision: Why Nora Häuptle Stepped Down as Black Queens Coach

Nora Häuptle, the former head coach of Ghana’s senior women’s football team, has explained the reasons behind her decision to resign from the position. The Swiss coach, who led the Black Queens to qualify for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), officially left her role in late 2024. Under her leadership, Ghana earned a spot in the prestigious tournament, set to take place in Morocco from July 5 to July 26. This qualification marked Ghana’s return to the competition for the first time since 2018, and the team came agonizingly close to securing a place in the 2024 Olympic Games, further showcasing the team’s improvement under her stewardship.
However, her unexpected departure just six months before the highly anticipated WAFCON tournament has left the Black Queens in search of a new head coach. In a recent interview with Swiss outlet 20 Minutes, Häuptle shed light on the factors that led to her decision to leave the post. She revealed that her decision stemmed from her dissatisfaction with the contract renewal negotiations with the Ghana Football Association (GFA). Despite her successes with the Black Queens, there were several unresolved issues related to her contract, which she felt were critical to her ability to continue guiding the team effectively.
“It wasn’t easy to give up the project. My contract was running out at the end of the year, and we had discussions. But there were a few pieces of the puzzle that were not clear, which were relevant to my success,” Häuptle explained. She made it clear that she was unwilling to make compromises on important aspects of the contract, and as a result, nothing was finalized. Despite parting ways, she expressed her respect for the GFA, stating, “We are parting on good terms and with a lot of respect for each other.”
Häuptle spoke highly of the Black Queens’ potential, acknowledging the team’s consistent appearances in finals, even though they have yet to deliver a truly convincing performance. She expressed her belief in the team’s potential and her clear understanding of the steps needed to help the team achieve greater success, saying, “I’m excited by the team’s enormous potential. Recently, they have regularly participated in finals but have not yet been able to perform convincingly. I know what we need to do as a team.”
Following her departure from Ghana, Häuptle has been appointed as the head coach of Zambia’s national women’s team, the Copper Queens. She is set to lead Zambia in this year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), where the team will compete in Group A alongside Morocco, Senegal, and DR Congo. This appointment comes at a time when Zambia is looking to build on its women’s football successes and continue to develop the team further.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has expressed that it made every effort to retain Häuptle as the Black Queens’ coach, but ultimately, she chose to accept the role with Zambia. The decision reportedly came after Häuptle raised concerns regarding the preparation of the Black Queens for the 2025 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) in Morocco. One of the key issues she pointed out was the lack of high-profile friendly matches, which she believed were essential for the team’s preparation. Despite bringing up these concerns, including in a LinkedIn post, she did not receive any guarantees or concrete solutions from the GFA.
As a result, when her contract with Ghana expired on December 31, 2024, Häuptle decided to move on and signed a new contract with Zambia, where she hopes to continue developing women’s football. Her departure highlights the challenges faced by the Ghana Football Association in terms of supporting the women’s national team and meeting the expectations of coaches, especially when it comes to preparing the team for major international tournaments. It also serves as a reminder of the growing demand for proper planning and investment in women’s football to ensure sustained success on the continental stage.