Ghana’s Black Queens have qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after playing a 1-1 draw with Mali in Rabat on Thursday.
Naija News reports that Ghana went into the Group D encounter knowing that a draw would be enough to send them into the last eight, having a better goal difference than Mali.
The result saw Cameroon finish top of the group with seven points after they also played out a 1-1 draw with tournament debutants Cape Verde.
Ghana and Mali ended the group stage with four points each, but Ghana advanced on goal difference, while Cape Verde finished bottom with one point.
The Black Queens, who have finished runners-up three times in the history of the competition, will now face giant-killers Malawi in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
The match will be played in Rabat and is scheduled to kick off at 9 pm WAT.
The other quarter-final matches will see hosts Morocco face South Africa, while Cote d’Ivoire take on Algeria on Saturday.
Record 10-time champions and defending champions Nigeria will face Cameroon in the other quarter-final on Sunday.
Ghana took the lead in first-half added time through Evelyn Badu.
Badu headed a cross from Comfort Yeboah beyond Mali goalkeeper Aissatou Liberge to give the Black Queens a 1-0 advantage going into the break.
Liberge had earlier replaced Mali captain Fatoumata Karentao, who was forced off after picking up an injury.
Mali, however, responded five minutes into the second half.
Substitute Kadidiatou Diabate’s free-kick took a deflection and wrong-footed Ghana goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan, leaving her stranded as the ball found the net.
The Female Eagles had a late opportunity to score the winning goal and secure their own place in the quarter-finals.
Diabate stepped up to take a late free-kick but failed to keep her effort down, allowing Konlan to make a comfortable save.
The draw was enough for Ghana to progress, leaving Mali to exit the competition.
In the other Group D match played at the same time, Cameroon took the lead through Grace Mendoua in the 28th minute.
Cape Verde equalised five minutes after the restart through Ivania Moreira, but the result was not enough to deny Cameroon top spot.
The quarter-final stage also carries a major reward, with the four teams that win their last-eight matches automatically qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The four teams that lose in the quarter-finals will have another opportunity to qualify through African and intercontinental play-offs.
2026 WAFCON Quarter-final Fixtures
Saturday, August 8
Côte d’Ivoire vs Algeria – 6:00pm WAT, Casablanca
Morocco vs South Africa – 9:00 pm WAT, Rabat
Sunday, August 9
Cameroon vs Nigeria – 6:00 pm WAT, Casablanca
Malawi vs Ghana – 9:00pm WAT, Rabat
Naija News reports that Nigeria, the defending champions and record 10-time winners, will be hoping to maintain their dominance when they face Cameroon in what promises to be one of the biggest quarter-final clashes of the tournament.
For Ghana, attention now turns to Malawi as the Black Queens seek to go beyond the quarter-finals and continue their pursuit of a first WAFCON title.
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