Ghana’s Black Queens would be involved in a do-or-die battle today as they face Mali in a final Group D qualifier of the ongoing 2026 Women African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) championship underway in Morocco.
Both countries go into the game boasting of just three points apiece from the two matches they have played so far.
The Black Queens kicked their campaign off in a victorious note as they benefitted from a Doris Boaduwaa lob and an own goal to defeat Cape Verde 2-0.
Mali, however, started on a jerky note, losing their opening game to Cameroon in an entertaining game.
Their fortunes reversed on Match day two which saw the Black Queens lost narrowly (1-0) to Cameroon with Mali breathing some life into the campaign with a victory over Cape Verde.
Cameroon, thus moved to the quarter-finals with the hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ghana in Sunday’s Group D clash in Casablanca with a game against Cape Verde to spare.
That leaves the Black Queens and their Malian counterparts in a difficult situation with the winner expected to stay in the competition and the loser, expected to pack bag and baggage home.
Ghana conceded from a first half penalty converted by Marie Ngah Manga but the response was not what fans expected as the team struggled to march the Cameroonians.
That leaves a sour taste in the mouth for fans of the Black Queens due to the unconvincing show they put up against Cameroon who brought their physicality to bear on the game.
Mali may employ a similar strategy, knowing how challenging that could be for the Ghanaians; leaving a huge task on the shoulders of Coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren who must find a way past the Malians to snatch the last slot for qualification from the group.
The Queens retuned to training on Monday after the Mali game and appeared very spirited for the task at hand.
Will every player fit and raring to go, Coach Kim would have no excuses for not snatching the last point left for the group, having started on a promising note.
Sadly, the livewires of the team- Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, Doris Boaduwaa, Josephine Bonsu and skipper Portia Boakye are yet to make an impact in the championship, and that to a large extent has affected the team’s play.
To get the better of Mali, Coach Kim must find a way to get the spark from these players to bolster their chances of progressing and ultimate realise the dream World Cup qualification.
BY ANDREW NORTEY
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