Ghana’s Black Queens have reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), where they will face Malawi with a semi-final place and qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil on the line.
Ghana secured second place in Group D after drawing 1-1 with Mali on Thursday. The result took Kim Lars Bjorkegren’s side to four points, two behind group winners Cameroon, who finished on seven points after also drawing 1-1 with Cape Verde.
The Black Queens made the breakthrough in first-half stoppage time after Comfort Yeboah created the opportunity for Evelyn Badu. Yeboah’s inviting cross found Badu, who headed Ghana in front in the third minute of added time.
Mali responded quickly after the interval, with Kadidiatou Diabate restoring parity in the 50th minute. The equaliser set up a tense final period as Mali pushed for a winning goal and Ghana fought to protect the result they needed to progress.
Ghana goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan played a key role in preserving the draw, making important saves as Mali applied pressure. The Black Queens also maintained their defensive organisation to see out the contest and confirm their place in the last eight.
Their reward is a meeting with Malawi, a team Ghana faced in a pre-tournament friendly on 23 July 2026. Ghana won that encounter 4-0, a result that will provide confidence before the sides meet again in a competitive fixture.
The quarter-final is expected to be a considerably more demanding test, with the stakes far higher than in their earlier meeting. Victory would take Ghana into the WAFCON semi-finals and secure their return to the continental last four for the first time since 2016.
More importantly, the match offers the Black Queens a route back to the global stage. Ghana have not appeared at the FIFA Women’s World Cup since their previous campaigns in 1999, 2003 and 2007, and are targeting an end to a two-decade absence.
The 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil will therefore be firmly in Ghana’s sights when they face Malawi. Bjorkegren’s team have already shown resilience in the group stage, recovering from Mali’s equaliser and withstanding late pressure to advance.
They will now look to turn that determination into a quarter-final victory, which would deliver both a place in the WAFCON semi-finals and the opportunity to compete at the World Cup for the first time in 20 years.
