Ghana’s Black Queens have kept their hopes of returning to the FIFA Women’s World Cup alive after producing a spirited comeback to defeat Côte d’Ivoire 2-1 in their crucial play-off encounter.
The victory at the Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca means Ghana will advance to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 Play-Off Tournament, where they must navigate another demanding route if they are to reach the finals in Brazil.
For both sides, the encounter represented their final opportunity to remain in contention after quarter-final exits at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Ghana ultimately showed greater resilience, recovering from an early setback to secure the result they needed.
Côte d’Ivoire started with greater urgency and were rewarded when Ghana conceded a penalty after Princess Marfo was adjudged to have committed a foul inside the area. Inès Konan stepped forward and converted to give the Ivorians an early advantage.
The goal, however, appeared to jolt the Black Queens into life. Ghana gradually assumed control, dominating possession and pushing Côte d’Ivoire deeper into their own half. Despite creating sustained pressure, they were unable to find an equaliser before the interval.
Ghana thought they had levelled shortly after the restart when Stella Nyamekye found the net, but the goal was overturned following an extended VAR review. Evelyn Badu was deemed to have fouled the Ivorian goalkeeper after appearing to kick through her while she had control of the ball.
Marfo and Bonsu Complete Ghana’s Comeback
The setback did little to discourage Ghana. Their persistence finally paid off in the 59th minute when Princess Marfo rose to head home from a corner, making amends for the earlier penalty incident and restoring parity.
Ghana continued to press and were rewarded again with 19 minutes remaining. A goal-bound effort struck the arm of an Ivorian defender inside the box. The referee initially waved play on, but VAR intervened and the decision was reversed.
Josephine Bonsu accepted responsibility from the spot and produced a composed finish to put Ghana ahead for the first time.
Côte d’Ivoire were then forced to chase the game, knowing that defeat would end their hopes of returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2015. The Ivorians pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but Ghana’s defence held firm.
Captain Portia Boakye was central to the resistance as the Black Queens protected their advantage through the closing stages and secured a victory that keeps their campaign alive.
The result is particularly significant given Ghana’s history at the World Cup. The Black Queens have qualified for the tournament three consecutive times, in 1999, 2003 and 2007, but have not returned since their last appearance in China.
Their best result across those three campaigns was a single victory in 2003 against Australia, meaning a successful qualification in the current cycle would mark the country’s return to the global stage after two decades.
The Longer Road to Brazil
Ghana’s route to Brazil will now be considerably more complicated because they missed out on one of Africa’s four direct World Cup places by failing to reach the WAFCON semi-finals.
Under FIFA’s expanded qualification system for the 2027 tournament, the four WAFCON semi-finalists qualify directly for the World Cup. The two African teams that win the WAFCON play-off matches, including Ghana, instead enter the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.
The tournament provides three additional World Cup places. Its first phase, scheduled for November and December 2026, will involve six teams: two from CAF, two from the AFC, one from CONMEBOL and one from the OFC. The top two will advance to the final phase in February 2027.
They will then be joined by two Concacaf representatives, one from CONMEBOL and one from UEFA. The six nations will be divided into three knockout pathways, with each pathway winner earning a place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
That means Ghana are not yet close to securing a World Cup ticket, but their victory over Côte d’Ivoire has preserved the opportunity.
The first hurdle comes in November, when the Black Queens begin another difficult chapter in their bid to return to the world’s biggest women’s football tournament.
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