The Black Queens of Ghana began their 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) campaign in impressive fashion with a comfortable 2-0 victory over tournament debutants Cape Verde in their Group D opener at the Stade Moulay Rachid in Casablanca on Wednesday evening.
Goals in either half ensured Ghana claimed all three points and made the perfect start to their quest for a maiden continental title, while Cape Verde’s historic first appearance at the tournament ended in defeat.
Ghana wasted little time asserting their dominance, pinning the Cape Verdeans deep inside their own half from the opening whistle and creating several early attacking opportunities.
The breakthrough arrived after just six minutes when striker Doris Boaduwaa latched onto a superb long pass from captain Portia Boakye before calmly lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper and into the empty net.
The early goal settled the Black Queens, who continued to dictate possession and repeatedly threatened to extend their advantage with quick passing and incisive movement in the final third.
Cape Verde struggled to cope with Ghana’s pace and physicality, relying largely on counterattacks that were comfortably dealt with by the Black Queens’ experienced defence.
Despite Ghana’s dominance, Cape Verde goalkeeper Celma Fortes produced a string of important saves to deny Boaduwaa and Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, ensuring the score remained 1-0 heading into the halftime break.
The debutants showed admirable determination but found it difficult to create clear-cut chances against a disciplined Ghanaian backline marshalled by veteran defender Boakye.
Ghana resumed the second half with the same attacking intent and were rewarded nine minutes after the restart when Cape Verde defender Eleia Vieira inadvertently turned the ball into her own net under pressure, doubling the Black Queens’ advantage and leaving the newcomers with a mountain to climb.
Perfect Start for Ghana’s Title Ambitions
The own goal effectively settled the contest as Kim Lars Björkegren’s side controlled proceedings for the remainder of the match. Although the Black Queens continued to create opportunities, they were unable to add to their tally, with Cape Verde’s goalkeeper once again making several fine interventions to keep the score respectable.
Cape Verde showed greater attacking ambition in the closing stages but struggled to break down Ghana’s well-organized defence, which comfortably preserved its clean sheet.
The victory sees Ghana move to the top of Group D after collecting the first three points of the campaign. Elsewhere in the group, Cameroon and Mali are currently drawing 1-1 draw, giving the Black Queens an early advantage in the race for a place in the knockout rounds.
For Björkegren, the performance will provide plenty of encouragement. His side displayed the attacking fluency that was evident during their unbeaten pre-tournament preparations while remaining defensively solid throughout the 90 minutes.
The result also extends Ghana’s positive momentum after victories over Ivory Coast and Malawi in warm-up matches before the tournament, reinforcing the belief that the Black Queens can challenge Africa’s elite once again.
Ghana arrived in Morocco with renewed confidence after finishing third at the previous WAFCON, also hosted by Morocco, where they narrowly missed out on the final after losing to the hosts in a dramatic penalty shootout before defeating South Africa in the third-place playoff.
The Black Queens remain one of Africa’s most respected women’s national teams despite never lifting the WAFCON trophy. They have reached the final on three occasions, only to finish runners-up to continental giants Nigeria each time.
This latest triumph provides the ideal platform as Ghana pursues history under Björkegren. While tougher tests undoubtedly lie ahead in Group D, the Black Queens demonstrated against Cape Verde that they possess both the quality and composure required to make a serious bid for their first-ever WAFCON crown.
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