Adjoa Bayor wants Ghana to open 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations with three points

Former Ghana captain Grace Adjoa Bayor hopes that the Black Queens open the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations on a winning note. 

Bashir Hayford's outfit are set to face Algeria in the tournament opener at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday before games against Mali and Cameroon in Group A. 

The first time of hosting the elite continental women championship, the Black Queens will hope to go one step better this time around after thrice finishing as losing finalists. 

"For the first time we are hosting the tournament in Ghana and our prayer is that our ladies will be able to win it," Bayor, 2003 African Women Footballer of the Year, who captained Ghana at the 2007 Fifa Women's World Cup in China, told Joy News.

"Normally when you go for tournaments, it is always important to start on a winning note, so my advise to the team is that they start the tournament well by winning and playing well.

"Fortunately for us, we are playing here in Ghana, so we will have the fans backing us.

"We can only make them proud by winning our first game."

The top three sides at Ghana 2018 will secure qualification tickets for the 2019 Fifa Women's World Cup in France. 

The Black Queens finished third at the 2016 Awcon in Cameroon, their third time of claiming bronze at the tournament.