Ghana's Black Queens will face Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday, August 13, in a crucial WAFCON play-in match as they look to keep their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup alive.

The Black Queens entered the play-in after suffering a 2-1 defeat to WAFCON debutants Malawi in Sunday's quarterfinal in Rabat.

Ghana took an early lead through Cynthia Boakye-Hlorkah, but Malawi quickly responded through Temwa Chawinga before Rose Kadzere completed the comeback with the winning goal in the 79th minute.

The defeat ended Ghana's hopes of reaching the WAFCON semifinals and securing automatic qualification for the World Cup.

Ghana must now overcome Cote d’Ivoire in the play-in to advance to the FIFA Women's World Cup Play-Off Tournament.

The other play-in will see defending champions Nigeria face South Africa, with the two winners joining the FIFA Play-Off Tournament as Africa's representatives.

The African play-in involves the teams that lost in the WAFCON quarterfinals, with two winners earning places in the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.

That tournament will provide another route to Brazil 2027. The two African representatives will join teams from other confederations, with the final qualification places for the Women's World Cup to be decided through the FIFA play-off process.

The first phase of the FIFA Play-Off Tournament will be held in November and December 2026 at a centralised venue. Six teams, including the two African representatives, will compete, with the top two advancing to the final phase in February 2027.

They will then be joined by four teams from Concacaf, CONMEBOL and UEFA. The six teams will be divided into three knockout paths, with the winner of each path securing qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil.

For Ghana, the immediate focus is Cote d’Ivoire on August 13. Victory would keep the Black Queens' World Cup dream alive, while another defeat would end their hopes of returning to the global tournament for the first time since 2007.

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Ghana's Black Queens have suffered a 2-1 defeat to debutants Malawi in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations, ending their hopes of reaching the semifinals.

Ghana made a bright start in Rabat, taking an early lead through Cynthia Boakye-Hlorkah in the seventh minute. Malawi responded five minutes later through Temwa Chawinga to level the score at 1-1 before half-time.

The Black Queens had a chance to regain the lead after the break, but their efforts were not enough to break Malawi's resistance. A Ghana goal was also disallowed following a VAR review.

Malawi eventually completed their comeback in the 79th minute through Rose Kadzere, leaving Ghana with no response in the closing stages.

The defeat means Ghana will not feature in the WAFCON semifinals and must now take the difficult playoff route to keep their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup alive.

The Black Queens had entered the quarterfinal with qualification for the World Cup within reach, knowing that victory over Malawi would have secured their return to the global tournament for the first time since 2007.

Instead, Ghana must now regroup and fight through the playoff route for a place at next year's World Cup in Brazil.

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Asante Kotoko have officially completed the signing of highly-rated FC Samartex 1996 youngster Emmanuel Mamah, GHANAsoccernet.com can confirm.

The 21-year-old forward has signed a two-year contract with the Porcupine Warriors, with an option for an additional year.

The deal brings an end to growing speculation surrounding Mamah’s future after his impressive performances in the Ghana Premier League attracted interest from several clubs.

Mamah was also on the radar of Austrian side Admiral Wacker, Spanish second-tier club AD Ceuta, Hearts of Oak and FC AshantiGold 04, but Kotoko have won the race for his signature.

He joins the Kumasi giants after an impressive spell with Samartex, where he established himself as one of the promising young attacking talents in the domestic top flight.

Mamah has scored 20 goals in 79 Ghana Premier League appearances, while also finding the net once in three CAF Champions League matches.

During the 2025-26 campaign, he registered seven goals in 21 league appearances, further enhancing his reputation and attracting significant interest.

Kotoko had been far advanced in negotiations for the youngster in recent days and have now completed the transfer.

The signing forms part of the club’s efforts to strengthen their squad with emerging Ghanaian talent as they prepare for the new season.

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