Ghana’s Black Queens have kept their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil alive after fighting back to defeat Côte d’Ivoire 2-1 in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026 play-in match.
The victory means Ghana have advanced to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off Tournament, where they will continue their quest for a place at the global showpiece.
The Black Queens had a difficult start to the encounter as Côte d’Ivoire took the lead in the second minute after Princess Marfo was adjudged to have committed a foul inside the penalty area. The Ivorians converted the resulting spot kick to put Ghana under early pressure.
Early in the second half, Stella Nyamekye thought she had restored parity for Ghana, but her effort was ruled out, denying the Black Queens a quick comeback.
However, Ghana continued pushing and were eventually rewarded in the 58th minute when Princess Marfo rose highest to head home the equaliser and bring the Black Queens level.
The momentum shifted in Ghana’s favour, and the team completed the comeback in the 72nd minute through Josephine Bonsu, who calmly converted from the penalty spot after a handball offence by Côte d’Ivoire. The penalty was won by Grace Asantewaa, whose effort helped create the decisive moment that gave Ghana the lead.
Princess Marfo was rewarded for her outstanding performance with the Woman of the Match award after scoring Ghana’s equaliser and playing a key role in the team’s attacking efforts.
Following their quarterfinal exit to Malawi, Ghana entered the play-in route alongside the other WAFCON quarterfinal losers. The winners of the African play-in matches advance to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off Tournament, where they will compete for one of the remaining World Cup slots through the inter-confederation qualification process.
The Black Queens now move one step closer to returning to the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2007, but they must navigate the global play-off stage to complete their qualification journey.
