Ghana secured their place in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026 after battling to a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Mali in a tense Group D decider on Thursday.
The Black Queens knew that avoiding defeat would almost certainly be enough to progress to the knockout stages, and they did just that despite being forced to withstand a spirited second-half fightback from a determined Mali side at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca.
Evelyn Badu looked to have put Ghana firmly on course for qualification when she struck deep into first-half stoppage time after being picked out by Comfort Yeboah. However, Kadidiatou Diabate restored parity five minutes after the restart to set up a nervy finish as Mali chased the victory they needed to reach the last eight.
The result, coupled with Cape Verde’s 1-1 draw against Cameroon in the other Group D fixture, ensured Cameroon finished top of the group with seven points while Ghana claimed second place on four points.
Mali exited the tournament on goal difference despite also finishing with four points, while tournament debutants Cape Verde ended their impressive first campaign with one point.
For Ghana, the draw represented another important milestone under Swedish coach Kim Lars Björkegren as the Black Queens kept alive their dream of returning to the latter stages of the continental championship and maintaining hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Ghana deliver when it mattered most
The build-up to the contest had centred on Ghana’s response following their narrow defeat to Cameroon in their previous outing.
That setback had left the Black Queens needing a positive result against a Mali side equally desperate to qualify, setting up one of the most intriguing final group matches of the tournament.
As expected, the opening exchanges were fiercely contested. Ghana enjoyed long spells of possession and attempted to dictate the tempo, while Mali remained organised and looked to exploit opportunities on the counter-attack.
The Lady Eagles suffered an early setback when Aïssata Kanté had to leave the field through injury after just 22 minutes, forcing coach Birama Konaté into an early reshuffle.
Despite Ghana’s territorial advantage, clear-cut opportunities remained scarce as both sides displayed the caution expected from a match carrying so much significance.
Just when it appeared the teams would head into the interval goalless, Ghana found the breakthrough. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Comfort Yeboah delivered an inviting pass into the penalty area and Evelyn Badu made no mistake, calmly finishing to hand the Black Queens a priceless 1-0 lead.
The goal sparked jubilant celebrations among the Ghanaian bench, knowing it placed them on course for a place in the quarter-finals.
