Ghana's Black Queens are still chasing a World Cup ticket. On Thursday, August 13, 2026, the team came from
behind to beat Côte d'Ivoire 2-1 in Casablanca, a result that keeps their hopes of reaching the 2027
FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil alive.
Côte d'Ivoire struck first. In the third minute, a VAR review awarded the Ivorians a penalty, and Inès Konan
converted to put the Lady Elephants ahead. Ghana struggled to find rhythm in the first half, with Princess
Marfo's effort drifting wide the closest the Black Queens came to an equaliser before the break. The
comeback came after halftime, and Ghana held on to finish 2-1, according to the Ghana Football Association
and Ghana's official women's national teams account.
How Ghana Got Here
This wasn't the route the Black Queens planned. Ghana's hopes of automatic World Cup qualification ended
after a 2-1 quarter-final loss to Malawi at the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco, a defeat head coach Kim Lars
Björkegren reportedly called one of the worst feelings of his career. That loss dropped Ghana into the
playoff bracket reserved for beaten quarter-finalists, alongside sides like Nigeria and South Africa, all
fighting for a spot in the FIFA intercontinental play-off tournament.
Beating Côte d'Ivoire was the first hurdle in that bracket. Win, and Ghana moves closer to a World Cup
return the country hasn't had since 2007. The next phase of the intercontinental play-off tournament runs in
two stages - November/December 2026, then February 2027 - meaning Thursday's win buys the Black Queens more
football, not a finished job.
The match also cost Ghana physically. Doris Boaduwaa and Evelyn Badu were forced off with injuries, and
Susan Ama Duah was stretchered off late in the game. No official word yet on the extent of those injuries,
and this has not been confirmed by the GFA as of August 14, 2026 - worth watching closely given how thin
Ghana's squad depth already looks heading into the next round.
The Drama
The Black Queens played this match under protest. A day before kickoff, players issued a joint statement
demanding unpaid bonuses tied to the Egypt 2025 WAFCON qualifiers, the WAFCON qualification bonus itself,
group-stage bonuses from the current tournament, and outstanding per diems. They also called out what they
described as poor welfare support, saying the Sports Minister and the President had visited camp only once
during the entire WAFCON campaign.
The Sports Ministry pushed back fast. Asaase Radio reported the ministry denies owing per diems, pointing to
a payment made on August 11 covering August 8 to August 14, and signed allowance sheets it says prove
there's no outstanding per diem debt as of August 12. On the win bonus for beating Cape Verde in the group
stage, the ministry says that payment is "being processed" pending paperwork and statutory deductions. It
also rejected the idea of a separate WAFCON qualification bonus altogether, saying the current financing
framework doesn't provide for one on home-and-away qualifiers.
So you've got players saying money is owed, and a ministry saying most of it either isn't owed or is already
in the pipeline. Both cannot be fully right, and neither side has released the actual payment documentation
publicly, so treat the financial claims on either side as unresolved for now.
This Isn't the First Time
Less than a year ago, ahead of the second leg of the WAFCON qualifier against Egypt in October 2025, the
Black Queens boycotted training over unpaid bonuses reported at roughly $9,500 per player. Sports Minister
Kofi Iddie Adams stepped in, met the players, and got assurances of payment made. Ghana then beat Egypt 4-0
in Accra to complete a 7-0 aggregate win.
The pattern is now familiar: dispute surfaces days before a big match, government scrambles to intervene,
team performs anyway. It raises a question nobody's asked directly yet - is the Black Queens' resilience
becoming an excuse for the Ministry to delay rather than fix the payment system? If the same standoff
repeats before the November intercontinental play-off, that's no longer a one-off story. That's a pattern
with a name.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Did the Black Queens beat Côte d'Ivoire?
Yes. Ghana won 2-1 in Casablanca on August 13, 2026, coming from behind after conceding an early penalty.
Does this mean Ghana is going to the 2027 World Cup?
Not yet. The win keeps Ghana alive for a spot in the FIFA intercontinental play-off tournament, which runs in two phases - November/December 2026 and February 2027. Ghana still has more matches to win.
What is the bonus dispute about?
Players say they're owed money from the Egypt 2025 WAFCON qualifiers, a WAFCON qualification bonus, group-stage bonuses, and per diems. The Sports Ministry disputes parts of this, saying per diems are current and the win bonus is being processed.
Were any Black Queens players injured in the Côte d'Ivoire match?
Doris Boaduwaa and Evelyn Badu went off injured, and Susan Ama Duah was stretchered off. The extent of the injuries has not been confirmed as of August 14, 2026.
When do the Black Queens play next?
The next stage of the FIFA intercontinental play-off tournament is scheduled for November and December 2026, with no fixture list confirmed publicly yet.