Black Queens to face Ivory Coast in crucial World Cup play-off battle
Ghana’s Black Queens must beat Ivory Coast on Thursday to keep their hopes of reaching the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup alive after a dramatic quarter-final exit at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Ghana’s Black Queens face Ivory Coast on Thursday, 13 August, in a crucial WAFCON play-in match that could determine whether their journey towards the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup continues.
The Black Queens were knocked out of the tournament’s semi-final race after losing 2-1 to WAFCON debutants Malawi in a dramatic quarter-final in Rabat on Sunday.
Ghana appeared to make the perfect start when Chantel put them ahead early in the match.
But Malawi responded quickly, with Temwa Chawinga restoring parity before Rose Kadzere completed the comeback with the winning goal in the 79th minute.
The defeat was a major setback for Ghana. A place in the WAFCON semi-finals would have guaranteed the Black Queens automatic qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Instead, Ghana now face a more difficult route.
They must beat Ivory Coast in the play-in to earn a place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off Tournament, where another opportunity to qualify will await them.
The other African play-in will see defending champions Nigeria take on South Africa. The two winners of the play-in matches will represent Africa at the FIFA play-off tournament.
The tournament, which will provide another route to Brazil 2027, will bring together six teams from different confederations in its first phase.
That phase is scheduled for November and December 2026 at a centralised venue, with the top two teams progressing to the final phase in February 2027.
Four additional teams from Concacaf, CONMEBOL and UEFA will then join them. The six teams will be divided into three knockout paths, with the winner of each path securing a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
For Ghana, however, the calculations are simple: beat Ivory Coast or see their World Cup hopes disappear.
The Black Queens have not appeared at the Women’s World Cup since their debut in 1999, with their last appearance coming in 2007.
Thursday’s match therefore carries more than just the disappointment of a quarter-final defeat. It offers Ghana one final route towards returning to the global stage.
The Black Queens will have to put Sunday’s heartbreak behind them quickly. Against Ivory Coast, there will be little room for error.
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