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 2-0 Cape Verde
Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Kick-off: 17:00 GMT
Venue: Moulay Rachid Stadium, Casablanca
Ghana got their WAFCON campaign off to a winning start on Wednesday evening, beating tournament debutants Cape Verde 2-0 in Group C at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca.
An exquisite chip from Doris Boaduwaa and own goal from Cape Verde's Eleia Vieira was enough to hand the Black Queens their first three points of the tournament.
Match 2 - Ghana 0-1 Cameroon
Date: Sunday, August 2, 2026
Kick-off: 17:00 GMT
Venue: Moulay Rachid Stadium, Casablanca
Ghana suffered their first defeat of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) on Sunday evening, losing 1-0 to Cameroon in their second Group C fixture at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca.
A first-half penalty from Marie Gisele Ngah Manga was enough to separate the two sides in a tight contest, ending the Black Queens’ perfect start to the tournament and setting up a decisive final group game against Mali on Thursday.
Match 3 - Ghana vs Mali
Date: Thursday, August 6, 2026
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
Venue: Moulay Rachid Stadium, Casablanca
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.
