Black Queens beat Ivory Coast in a pre-WAFCON friendly

Ghana’s Black Queens continued their preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ivory Coast in an international friendly played behind closed doors in Casablanca on Tuesday.

A decisive goal from forward Sharon Sampson in the 75th minute proved enough to separate the two West African rivals at the Stade Père Jégo, handing Ghana a morale-boosting win less than two weeks before the continental tournament begins.

The encounter formed part of the Black Queens’ build-up to WAFCON 2026, offering head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren another opportunity to assess his squad and fine-tune his tactical plans ahead of the competition.

Although the match was played without spectators, it provided a competitive test against an Ivorian side also preparing for the tournament in Morocco.

The victory will give Ghana confidence as the team intensifies preparations for the championship, which kicks off on 25 July.

The Black Queens have been drawn in Group D alongside Cameroon, Cape Verde and Mali, with hopes of making a strong impression at this year’s tournament.

Ghana are expected to play at least one more warm-up match before opening their WAFCON campaign, as Bjorkegren looks to finalise his squad and build momentum heading into Africa’s biggest women’s football competition.

Jamaldeen Wiayuka

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