Ghana face Cote d’Ivoire in WAFCON play-in for World Cup chance

Ghana's Black Queens will play Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday, August 13, in a WAFCON play-in match. The result of this fixture will determine which team advances to the FIFA Women's World Cup Play-Off Tournament.

Ghana entered this stage following a 2-1 loss to Malawi in their WAFCON quarterfinal in Rabat on Sunday. Cynthia Boakye-Hlorkah scored early for Ghana, but Malawi responded with goals from Temwa Chawinga and Rose Kadzere, the latter arriving in the 79th minute. This defeat prevented Ghana from reaching the semifinals and securing automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.

The play-in format involves the four teams that lost in the WAFCON quarterfinals. Ghana will face Cote d’Ivoire, while Nigeria will play South Africa in the other match. The winners of these two fixtures will represent Africa in the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.

In the Play-Off Tournament, the two African representatives will join six teams from other confederations, including Concacaf, CONMEBOL, and UEFA. The first phase of this tournament is scheduled for November and December 2026 at a central location. The top two teams from that phase will move to a final stage in February 2027.

Qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil will be decided through three knockout paths. The winner of each path will secure a place in the tournament. For Ghana, winning against Cote d’Ivoire is necessary to stay in contention for a return to the global stage for the first time since 2007.