For a country that prides itself as one of the best as far as women’s football on the African continent is concerned, Ghana never being at the Olympic Games is worrying. Since the introduction of women’s football at the Olympic Games in 1996, there have been seven more editions that have happened. However, in all of that, the Black Queens are yet to make an appearance. The closest Ghana has come to qualifying for the summer games was back in 2008, when they missed out on a spot to Brazil at the intercontinental playoffs. Just like their fate in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), Ghana has enjoyed unsuccessful stints in their quest to win the coveted prize since the inception of the competition, losing three finals while they have had several semifinal appearances in between. It also relates to their dream of returning to the Women’s World Cup, even though, in that regard, they have been there on three occasions, the last being in 2007. Kim Lars Bjorkegren knows he can’t afford to disappoint once again after Ghana’s underwhelming performance at the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco two months ago, missing out on the final four before sealing a World Cup playoff spot. While the wait for a first appearance continues to prolong, here is a review of how Ghana has come close to reaching the Olympic Games in times past. Atlanta, Georgia, 1996In the first edition, Ghana failed to make the needed stage required to qualify for the Olympics. This was after the Black Queens missed out on the qualification for the 1995 Women’s World Cup, which served as the qualifiers for the Olympic Games. Eventually, there was no African country present at the games in the United States of America. Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne 2000Just like the 1996 edition, the top seven teams from the World Cup earned qualification to play at the Olympic Games in Australia. Once again, Ghana failed to qualify for the World Cup and eventually missed the opportunity to play at the Olympic Games again. Nigeria became the first African country to make the Olympics in that year. Athens 2004Having seen the Black Meteors qualify for the Olympic Games in Greece, the Black Queens were hopeful of the same feat. With one slot allocated to Africa, there was a lot at stake. The Black Queens received a bye in the first round, then beat DR Congo on aggregate in the second round. However, they hit a snag in the third round. Ghana met Nigeria, and despite all of their great efforts, they fell short on penalties, with the Super Falcons going on to feature in back-to-back Olympic Games after beating South Africa in the final round. Beijing 2008This is the closest the Black Queens came to sealing an Olympics slot. Their nemesis was Brazil. Ghana eased their way past Angola with a 4-1 aggregate victory in the first round. The second round gave Ghana a similar aggregate scoreline over DR Congo, making it to the final phase of the CAF qualifiers. With Ethiopia withdrawing, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa were played in a league format, with the Super Falcons taking the automatic spot.The Black Queens sealed second spot, which meant they had to play in the intercontinental playoff. The CONMEBOL-CAF playoff didn’t end well for the Black Queens, as they fell 5-1 to a Marta-inspired Brazil, bringing an end to their hopes of playing at the tournament in China. London 2012Then came the challenge for the games in the United Kingdom, where Africa was guaranteed two slots. Ghana started its campaign in the second round, beating Guinea 7-1 on aggregate. However, the final round saw Ghana exit on the away goal rule. Cameroon and Zimbabwe went on to represent the African continent in that year. Rio 2016In 2016, Ghana missed out on the plane to Brazil after losing to Cameroon on the away goal rule once again following a 3-3 aggregate score. This was after Ghana had been involved in the second round, where they beat Egypt 4-1 on aggregate to proceed to the third round of the qualifiers. Tokyo 2020In the 2020 edition, Ghana featured in just two rounds. The Black Queens received a bye for the first round and made an entry in the second round of the qualifiers, facing Gabon. The team grabbed a 5-0 aggregate scoreline and advanced into the third phase of the qualifiers. After playing out a goalless draw at the Accra Sports Stadium in the first leg, the Black Queens lost 1-0 in Kasarani to Kenya.Paris 2024The Black Queens started their campaign from the first round during the 2024 edition as they dispatched Guinea 7-0 on aggregate after the two games. They advanced to face Benin in the next round, which also saw them claim a 5-0 aggregate victory. Photo Credit: Seth AmoakoGhana then set up a clash with Zambia with a series of off-the-pitch issues leading to the first leg of the game at the Accra Sports Stadium. The Queens lost opening leg 1-0 but looked very certain to overturn the tie in Lusaka. However, there was heartbreak in Zambia when a lead was blown away in the dying minutes of the game after Jennifer Cudjoe picked up a red card with Ghana losing 4-3 on aggregate.The Queens have started the quest for Los Angeles in style with a 3-0 win over Mauritius in the first leg but they know they cannot take anything for granted from here.