A first-half penalty from Marie Gisele Ngah Manga was enough to separate the two sides in a tight contest, ending the Black Queens’ perfect start to the tournament and setting up a decisive final group game against Mali on Thursday.
WAFCON 2026
The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) is taking place from July 26th to August 16th in Morocco, across venues in Rabat and Casablanca. The continent's 16 best sides are competing in groups of four before the knockout stages commence on August 8th.
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Ghana began brightly, enjoying good early spells of possession and pressing high in the manner head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren had promised in his pre-match press conference.
But the game turned against them midway through the first half when referee Salima Mukansanga awarded Cameroon a penalty after a lengthy VAR review, ruling that Ghana defender Benedicte Simon had handled the ball inside the box.
Manga stepped up and sent goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan Fiindib the wrong way, tucking the spot-kick into the corner to give the Indomitable Lionesses the lead.
Doris Boaduwaa, Ghana’s hero from the opener against Cape Verde, came agonisingly close to a swift equaliser but could not beat the Cameroon goalkeeper from close range.
Cameroon held onto their 1-0 lead into the break, using their spells of possession to control the tempo.
At the interval, Bjorkegren made a change in search of a way back into the game, introducing Evelyn Badu to add attacking bite in midfield.
The Black Queens improved in the second period, with captain Portia Boakye and Badu both spurning presentable chances to level the contest.
There was even a moment when the Ghanaian bench thought parity had been restored as Badu had the ball in the net, but her effort was chalked off after the officials ruled offside in the build-up.
Cameroon’s defensive shape held right through to the whistle, and their goalkeeping and organisation ultimately proved the difference.
The defeat leaves Ghana on three points and second in Group C, behind Cameroon, who have now won both of their opening two matches and secured qualification for the quarter-finals with a game to spare.
Mali sit third and face off with Cape Verde in the group’s other matchday two fixture.
For the Black Queens, victory against Mali at the Moulay Rachid Stadium on Thursday should be enough to see them progress to the quarter-finals of the tournament.
A slip-up in the closing group fixture would leave qualification in the hands of results elsewhere and open the door to an early tournament exit.
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