The assistant coach and performance analyst of Ghana’s women’s national football team, the Black Queens, Ronnie Bergdahl, shared a gripping firsthand account of a frightening night in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
During their stay in a 23-floor hotel as part of the team’s pre-WAFCON training camp, a sudden missile warning blared through the building, forcing an urgent emergency evacuation.
Bergdahl described the chaotic scene of rushing down numerous flights of stairs amid the alert, later noting that not every morning begins with such a dramatic sprint from a high-rise due to an incoming missile threat. The incident was punctuated by a loud, unsettling bang—likely tied to regional airspace disruptions—and reports of a downed missile contributing to further complications.
Compounding the tension, the team encountered significant delays at the airport stemming from the interception or downing of a missile, which shut down or restricted air travel in the area. Adding to the unease was an unexplained explosion at or near their hotel, heightening the sense of vulnerability in what was meant to be a focused preparatory environment.
The Black Queens had traveled to the UAE specifically for this training camp and to participate in events like the Pink Ladies Cup, aiming to build form and cohesion ahead of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026. The Queens won 4-0 in each games against Hong Kong and China in the exercise.
However, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ultimately postponed the tournament—originally slated for March in Morocco—pushing it to later in the year, around July or August, due to unforeseen circumstances.
This decision came amid escalating regional instability, driven by Houthi attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea and broader Middle East tensions, including Iranian strikes and retaliatory actions that affected UAE airspace and security.
Despite these alarming disruptions and scares, the majority of the players managed to depart safely from Dubai earlier, while Bergdahl himself headed toward Copenhagen.
The entire episode powerfully illustrates how geopolitical conflicts and regional hostilities can unexpectedly upend even the most carefully planned preparations for African national teams training or competing in the Middle East, turning a routine camp into a test of resilience and safety.