Ghana secures playoff spot
The Black Queens of Ghana achieved a 2-1 comeback victory against their West African counterparts, Côte d’Ivoire, securing their place in the Intercontinental World Cup Playoffs scheduled for December. The match, held at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, saw Ghana overcome a first-half deficit.
Despite dominating possession for significant portions of the game, Ghana found themselves trailing 1-0 at halftime after Côte d’Ivoire successfully converted a penalty. However, the Black Queens responded with strength in the second half.
Second-half turnaround
Following the restart, Ghana equalized with a headed goal, bringing the score level. As the match neared its conclusion, Josephine Bonsu, based in Germany, converted a late penalty kick, completing Ghana’s comeback and sealing the 2-1 win.
This result means Ghana progresses to Phase 1 of the Intercontinental Playoffs in December. They will be joined by either Nigeria or South Africa in this next stage.
Path to the World Cup
The playoffs are a crucial step towards qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Both teams had considered this fixture to be like a final, given it represented another opportunity to qualify for the global tournament.
Côte d’Ivoire had previously participated in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015, while Ghana’s last appearance was in 2007. The winner of this tie was set to qualify for the inter-confederation playoffs, which will feature six teams ranked on the latest global rankings.
According to Côte d’Ivoire’s head coach, Reynald Pedros, the team had to adapt to a new reality after missing out on automatic qualification. He expressed optimism about his team’s potential, stating that they needed to continue fighting in what would be their last game at the tournament.
Captain Bernadette Amani Kakounan echoed her coach’s sentiments, emphasizing the team’s determination to win and make their fans proud. Kakounan was noted for her involvement in 25 duels against Algeria in a previous match.
Ghana’s generational ambition
Ghanaian defender Josephine Bonsu highlighted the current squad’s ambition to change the team’s history of World Cup participation. Ghana had previously qualified for three consecutive editions in 1999, 2003, and 2007, but had been absent from the subsequent four tournaments.
Ghana’s head coach, Kim Lars Bjökegren, acknowledged the disappointment of not reaching the semifinals but stressed the importance of preparing effectively for the match against Côte d’Ivoire to seize the World Cup opportunity.
The two nations have met three times in less than two years. The most recent encounter before this playoff match was a friendly on July 14, where Sharon Sampson’s goal in the 75th minute secured a win for the Black Queens. Another friendly in May 2025 ended in a 3-3 draw, while Côte d’Ivoire won 1-0 the following month.
Historically, Ghana has played West African opponents 14 times at the WAFCON, recording five wins, five draws, and four defeats. Of these, Ghana faced Nigeria nine times and Mali four times, remaining unbeaten in their last three WAFCON games against West African opposition.
Source: cafonline.com
Ama Serwah
Yaw Appiah
Kwame Ofori