Black Queens of Ghana have crashed out of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after suffering a 2–1 defeat to debutants Malawi in their quarter-final clash in Rabat.
Ghana made the perfect start when Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah fired the Black Queens ahead in the 70th minute.
Their lead lasted just five minutes, however, as Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga quickly restored parity to send the two sides into half-time level.
Ghana struggled to regain control after the break as Malawi grew in confidence and began to threaten more consistently.
The debutants completed their comeback in the 79th minute when Rose Kadzere found the decisive goal.
The Black Queens pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages but could not break down a determined Malawi defence.
The result sends Malawi into the 2026 WAFCON semi-finals for the first time, while Ghana’s hopes of winning the tournament end at the quarter-final stage.
The defeat also means Ghana have missed out on automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
However, the Black Queens still have a route to the World Cup through the intercontinental play-offs. The Queens will face Côte d’Ivoire in the playoff for a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
