Ghana at WAFCON 2026: Full schedule, dates, venues and kick-off times for the Black Queens
Ghana’s Black Queens will begin their 2026 TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) campaign in Morocco on Wednesday, July 29, when they face Cape Verde at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca.
The 15th edition of WAFCON, hosted by Morocco for the second consecutive tournament, runs from July 26 to August 16, 2026, after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) rescheduled the competition from its original March-April window.
16 national teams have been drawn into four groups, with the top two from each pool advancing to the quarter-finals and, crucially, the four semi-finalists earning automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, to be hosted by Brazil.
Ghana find themselves in Group D alongside Cape Verde, Cameroon and Mali. Head coach Kim Lars Björkegren’s side will play all three of their group-stage matches at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca, a change from the initial plan that had them based in Fez.
CAF’s revised operational programme moved the Black Queens’ team base from Fez to Casablanca in the weeks leading up to the tournament, ensuring the squad plays their entire group phase at a single venue.
Here is the Black Queens’ full group-stage schedule:
Match 1 – Ghana vs Cape Verde
Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Venue: Moulay Rachid Stadium, Casablanca
The Black Queens open their campaign against WAFCON debutants Cape Verde. The Blue Sharks stunned the continent by qualifying for the finals for the first time in their history, and Ghana will be firm favourites on paper against the debutants.
That, however, is precisely the kind of fixture Björkegren’s side must convert into three points if they are to build momentum. A win here would settle nerves and set the group up perfectly ahead of the tougher tests to come.
Match 2 – Ghana vs Cameroon
The pivotal fixture of the group, and one of the biggest games in African women’s football. Cameroon are one of the heavyweights of the continent, reaching the final three times and losing all three to giants Nigeria.
With this game set to go down to the wire, the feeling is the winner of this game is expected to top Group D.
Match 3 – Ghana vs Mali
Date: Thursday, August 6, 2026
The Black Queens close their group stage against Mali under the lights in Casablanca. Mali have been a rising force in West African women’s football and finished in fourth place in the 2018 WAFCON losing to Ghana.
Depending on how results elsewhere have shaped the group, this final matchday fixture could be a straight shootout for a place in the quarter-finals.
The likely knockout path
The winners and runners-up of Group D will advance to the quarter-finals, scheduled for August 9 and 10.
The winner of Group D will face the runners-up of Group C, whereas the runners-up of Group D will face the winner of Group D.
With Group D comprising 10-time WAFCON winners Nigeria, who are expected to the top the group with Zambia, Egypt, and Malawi, finishing 2nd in Group D could mean a potential meeting with the Super Falcons.
As a result, Björkegren’s women will want to avoid Nigeria before the semi-finals at least.
The four semi-finalists, set to be decided on August 14, will book their tickets to Brazil 2027, the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The final of WAFCON 2026 is scheduled for Sunday, August 16, at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat.
For Ghana, the ambition is layered. On the immediate horizon, the Black Queens want to build on their impressive third-placed finish at the 2024 WAFCON, where they beat South Africa in the third-place playoff.
That performance restored the Black Queens’ standing among the continent’s elite after a period of decline, and Björkegren has been steadily building a squad that mixes senior campaigners with rising talents from the Ghana Women’s Premier League and European clubs.
The bigger prize, though, is a return to the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2007.
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