Ghana’s Black Queens suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in their second Group D match at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, as the Indomitable Lionesses secured all three points and booked their place in the next round of the competition.
The Black Queens entered the encounter with confidence after opening their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Cape Verde, but Cameroon proved to be a difficult opponent and secured victory through a first-half penalty.
The decisive moment came in the 19th minute when Benedicte Simon was penalised for a handball inside the penalty area. Ngah Manga stepped up and converted the resulting spot kick to give Cameroon the lead.
Ghana captain Portia Boakye was shown a yellow card while protesting the penalty decision as the Black Queens expressed their frustration over the call.
After going behind, Ghana responded with increased attacking pressure, dominating possession and pushing forward in search of an equaliser. The Black Queens created several opportunities but struggled to find the breakthrough against a resilient Cameroon side.
Head coach Kim Lars Björkegren made changes in the second half as Evelyn Badu replaced Ajegipena Zakaria in an attempt to strengthen Ghana’s attacking threat.
Later in the match, Princess Marfo came on for Alice Kusi in the 71st minute as Ghana continued their search for a goal.
Evelyn Badu thought she had restored parity for Ghana after finding the back of the net, but the effort was ruled out for an offside decision.
Further substitutions followed in the closing stages, with Linda Owusu Ansah and Princella Adubea replacing Jennifer Cudjoe and Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah in the 89th minute.
Despite sustained pressure from the Black Queens, Cameroon held firm to claim a crucial victory. The Indomitable Lionesses also picked up several yellow cards throughout the game following a number of fouls as Ghana continued to threaten.
The result means Cameroon move to six points after winning their opening two matches, having earlier defeated Mali 2-1, and have secured qualification to the next stage.
Ghana will now turn their attention to their final group match against Mali, where the Black Queens will aim to secure a positive result and strengthen their chances of progressing.
The Black Queens will face Mali on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at 8:00pm, while Cameroon will take on Cape Verde in the other Group D fixture.
