Ghana goalkeeper Cynthia Findib Konlan says the Black Queens are determined to defeat Malawi in the quarter-finals of the 2026 WAFCON and secure a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The FC Samartex Ladies goalkeeper believes Sunday’s match carries significance beyond qualification for the semi-finals. For Ghana’s current squad, victory would also bring an end to the country’s long absence from the global tournament.
“It’s really important for us and the whole of Ghana. We really want to go back there because it has been a long time since Ghana’s last representation at the World Cup,” Konlan said.
Ghana have not appeared at the FIFA Women’s World Cup since 2007. That means the meeting with Malawi represents an important opportunity for the Black Queens to bring the country back to the competition and create a new chapter in Ghanaian football history.
A win would guarantee Ghana a place in the semi-finals of the 2026 WAFCON. It would also secure the Black Queens’ return to the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time in 20 years, giving the quarter-final added importance for both the players and the wider country.
Konlan says the squad are focused on the task and ready to take advantage of the opportunity. The goalkeeper insists the players understand what is at stake and are united in their ambition to qualify for the 2027 tournament.
“We are ready, we are focused. We really want to book a ticket to the World Cup, so everybody is ready,” she added.
The Black Queens will play Malawi on Sunday, 9 August. Their immediate target is a place in the last four of the 2026 WAFCON, but qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup is the greater prize attached to the tie.
For Konlan and her team-mates, the match offers the chance to turn their determination into a landmark result. Ghana’s last World Cup appearance came in 2007, and the current generation now have the opportunity to end that wait by overcoming Malawi.
The goalkeeper’s comments underline the scale of the team’s objective: the Black Queens are not viewing the fixture solely as a route to the semi-finals, but as a decisive step towards restoring Ghana’s presence on the world stage.
With victory the only result that can guarantee both progress in the 2026 WAFCON and a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Ghana’s quarter-final will determine whether the Black Queens can finally return to the tournament after almost two decades away.
