Malawi stun Ghana to reach WAFCON semi-finals as Black Queens miss out on 2027 World Cup
Ghana’s Black Queens have been knocked out of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after suffering a 2-1 defeat by Malawi in a dramatic quarter-final.
Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah gave Ghana the perfect start when she opened the scoring in the seventh minute, putting the Black Queens 1-0 ahead.
But Malawi responded quickly, drawing level just five minutes later after a deflection wrong-footed the Ghanaian defence.
The equaliser sparked a fiercely contested encounter, with both sides creating pressure as they searched for the decisive goal.
Ghana thought they had regained the lead when Boaduwaa found the net, but their celebrations were cut short after the goal was ruled out for offside.
Malawi continued to grow into the game and put the Ghanaian defence under sustained pressure.
That pressure finally paid off in the 78th minute when Malawi scored to take a 2-1 lead.
Ghana pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages but could not find a way through, with Malawi holding on to secure a place in the semi-finals.
The defeat ends Ghana’s hopes of winning the 2026 WAFCON and also has major consequences beyond the tournament.
The Black Queens will miss out on the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Brazil as a result of their quarter-final exit.
Ghana have not appeared at the Women’s World Cup since 2007, meaning their wait for a return to the global stage will continue.
For the Black Queens, a tournament that began with hope of a deep run has ended in disappointment, while Malawi can celebrate one of the biggest victories in their women’s football history.
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