When Ghana's women's national team boarded a flight for the United Arab Emirates on February 25 to take part in the exhibition Pink Ladies Cup, they expected a straightforward pre-WAFCON training camp.
Instead, they found themselves caught in one of the most volatile flashpoints in the region's history, stranded as conflict erupted around them, preparing for a tournament that wouldn't take place, spending anxious days wondering when -- and how -- they would get home.
The Black Queens opened their tournament in Sharjah with a 4-0 victory over Hong Kong, before repeating the feat against Russia - arguably the finest showing of Bjorkegren's tenure - only for events far beyond football intervened.
As Iranian missile and drone strikes targeted sites across the UAE, airspace was abruptly closed, flights were suspended, and uncertainty spread throughout the region.
The Black Queens' delegation -- 25 players, 16 officials -- were instructed not to leave the country, while the Ghana Football Association, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and embassy officials worked to establish the safest route home.
Players remained largely confined to their hotel, barely 12km from Dubai International Airport - which sustained missile damage - bags were packed in anticipation of a possible emergency departure, while embassy representatives visited to the squad to reassure increasingly anxious players.
For Swedish head coach Kim Bjorkegren, it was an experience unlike anything else he'd witnessed in his two decades in football; sirens, explosions in the distance, and uncertainty over evacuation plans... hardly ideal preparation for the continental showpiece.
However, rather than breaking the squad, the experience may have bound them together better than any team-bonding session could have done.
"We all reacted in different ways," Bjorkegren told ESPN. "Most of us, including me, were nervous because we didn't know what to do. It was difficult to get out of the country.
"It was a situation that I'm not used to. When you hear bombs around you, and you're under pressure... you try to stay calm, especially as the leader.
"We're all human, so of course, there were people who were afraid."
The Black Queens eventually returned safely to Ghana, but Bjorkegren believes the ordeal has left something more valuable than another successful warm-up tournament.
"We got out from the country, and then we had this experience together," he continued.
"Maybe something positive came from this negative experience, because we went there as a group and we left as a group as well."
While elite sports coaches have been known to seek to manufacture the togetherness of a playing squad through workshops, bonding exercises or sports psychologists, Ghana's unity was forged in altogether more authentic circumstances.
They didn't merely endure a testing training camp, they shared days of genuine uncertainty, waiting together for permission to leave a country caught up in regional conflict, the smell and sounds of war, uncomfortably close.
It's hardly the conventional route to a continental championship, but may be one of several reasons why Ghana believe they're arriving in Morocco stronger than they were when they reached the semifinal a year ago.
CAF's decision to postpone the tournament frustrated many nations, and while Ghana were no different, for the Black Queens, it ultimately offered something invaluable, another season for one of the continent's youngest squads to mature.
Only two WAFCON squads have a younger average age than Ghana, but they aren't an inexperienced squad still learning tournament football after their run to the semis in 2025.
The Black Queens have also spent another 12 months developing chemistry, exposing young players to strong opponents, and reinforcing Bjorkegren's tactical identity.
"I would say that we're in a better place now than one year ago," the Swedish coach continued. "We've improved in every camp we've had. We also played against some good nations teams.
"We beat Russia 4-0, we qualified with two convincing wins against Egypt, we played England in December and lost 2-0, but stayed in the game the whole time. They only scored their second goal in stoppage time from a VAR penalty.
"Last WAFCON, we had around 18 players playing in their first. Hopefully one year of experience will help this group now."
Despite their inexperience last year, Ghana -- returning to the tournament after failing to qualify for 2022 -- grew into the tournament, caught the eye with their technical capacity, and only lost to Morocco on penalties in the semis following a 1-1 draw.
Bjorkegren believes this tournament may have laid the foundations for future successes, rather than representing a missed opportunity.
"I think the players now know we can beat every team in Africa, we're better than we were one year ago," he added. "There are probably seven or eight teams who can win this tournament.
"Some have a better chance than others, but we're one of them. In a good month, we can do it."
As well as the improved performances, Bjorkregren has added depth to the squad, with the Swede ushering in a new and exciting generation.
"We have many more young players and it's looking good. We have good depth in the squad, and that's our strength."
The Black Queens also believe that the example of the men's national team, who defied expectations to reach the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup, could prove inspiration for the women at the WAFCON, with Carlos Queiroz's side serving a reminder of how the West African nation could compete with the best in the world.
"Of course you find inspiration from a big tournament like the men's World Cup," he continued. "Since arriving here in Morocco, the players and the coaches watched the semifinals and the final together, and there are always small details you can learn from.
"Maybe they aren't things you can copy directly, but do something similar. We were all supporting the men's team."
The 44-year-old has some first-hand experience of the inner workings of the Black Stars, having had the opportunity to balance his duties with the women's team alongside a role in the backroom staff of former head coach Otto Addo for a four-month spell earlier this year.
"I worked with the men's national team as an assistant coach, and even though I've been a head coach, there are always small things you can learn," Bjorkegren revealed.
"Sometimes it's good to take a step back, watch and listen."
These marginal gains may prove decisive as Ghana look to win a first ever WAFCON title. They've reached the final on three occasions -- all between 1998 and 2006 -- but failed on each occasion, and this year marks two decades since they last made the biggest fixture in the African women's football calendar.
However, those subsequent failures aren't a shared experience for this current squad, who approach the WAFCON with a quiet confidence, and with the perspective and maturity that experiencing a global conflict together up front can establish.
None of this guarantees the Black Queens will end their wait for a continental crown, but having overcome circumstances -- together -- that few football teams would ever expect to encounter, they may well have an edge that few of their rivals could match.
