Cameroon moved to the top of Group D at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after beating Ghana’s Black Queens 1-0 in Rabat on Sunday evening.
The victory gave the Indomitable Lionesses a second successive win at the tournament and put them in a commanding position before the final round of group matches. Cameroon now have six points from two games, while Ghana remain on three.
The decisive moment came in the 19th minute, when the Video Assistant Referee intervened to award Cameroon a penalty. Ghana were judged to have committed a foul inside their own area, leaving Marie Ngah Manga with the opportunity to open the scoring from the spot.
The Cameroon striker made no mistake, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to claim her third goal of the tournament. All of Cameroon’s goals in Morocco so far have been scored by Ngah Manga, who has emerged as the key attacking figure in their campaign.
Ghana responded well after falling behind and enjoyed several periods of possession as they attempted to draw level. The Black Queens also created a number of encouraging openings, but they could not produce the finish required to break through.
Cameroon’s defence remained organised and disciplined throughout the match, frustrating Ghana’s attempts to find an equaliser and protecting the narrow advantage secured by the penalty.
The result further underlined Cameroon’s strong record against Ghana in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. The two teams first met in the competition in 1998, and the Indomitable Lionesses have continued to hold the advantage in the rivalry. Sunday’s win added to that long-standing dominance.
Cameroon’s six-point total leaves them close to securing a place in the quarter-finals. Their position at the summit of Group D gives them a significant advantage heading into the last round of fixtures, with qualification now within reach.
Ghana, meanwhile, could drop to third place depending on the result of the group’s other match between Mali and Cape Verde. The outcome of that fixture will determine the Black Queens’ position before their final game.
The Ghanaian side must now prepare for a crucial meeting with Mali. A victory would substantially strengthen their hopes of reaching the knockout stage, but any other result could leave their WAFCON campaign in serious danger.
The match against Mali will therefore be decisive for Ghana’s ambitions in the competition. Having lost their place at the top of the group, the Black Queens need a strong response in their final outing to keep their hopes of progressing alive. Their ability to recover from the defeat by Cameroon will be tested as they seek to remain in contention for the quarter-finals.
