Ghana: Abambilla, Aniwaa miss out on Queens' final WAFCON 2026 squad

By Ama Serwah — 24 July 2026 — 3 min read

Queens’ Squad for WAFCON 2026 Confirmed

Coach Kim Lars Brokegren has announced the final 25-player squad for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). The announcement comes two days before the tournament’s start in Morocco. The initial provisional list submitted to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) included 27 players, with two players ultimately not making the final cut.

Among those who did not make the final squad are defender Ernestina Abambilla, who plays for Hungarian side ETO Győr, and Louisa Aniwaa, a defender from Portuguese side Valadares. Their places have been filled by newcomer Benedicte Simon of Swiss champions Servette FC Chênois and attacker Ajegipina Zakaria from Ampem Darkoa Ladies.

Zakaria is one of three local players included in the squad. The other local players are goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan Findab, who plays for Samartex Ladies, and Huzeima Osman of Jonina Ladies. Coach Brokegren has largely maintained the squad from the 2024 WAFCON, with only four new additions, indicating his aim to improve upon last year’s third-place finish.

Recent Preparations and Tournament Outlook

The Black Queens recently concluded their preparations for the WAFCON with a series of friendly matches. In one such match, Doris Boaduwaa scored a hat-trick, contributing to a 4-0 victory against Malawi. This performance highlighted the team’s attacking capabilities and provided a confidence boost ahead of the continental competition.

Another friendly saw the Black Queens play to a 0-0 draw against Tanzania in Casablanca. Despite dominating possession and creating scoring opportunities, Ghana was unable to convert their chances against a well-organised Tanzanian defence. Coach Brokegren utilized the match to assess his squad and test various tactical combinations.

The 16-nation tournament is set to begin on Sunday with Group A fixtures, featuring hosts Morocco against Kenya, and Senegal playing Algeria. Ghana, placed in Group D, will play their opening game against Cabo Verde on Wednesday. The other match in Group D will see Cameroun face Mali.

The Queens, who have previously won three silver medals and four bronze medals, will be seeking their first WAFCON title. A key objective for the team is also to secure one of the four available slots for Africa in the 2027 Women’s World Cup. Their last appearance at the Women’s World Cup was in China 2007.

Full Squad Details

The final squad for the WAFCON 2026 includes a mix of experienced players and new talents from various leagues around the world. The goalkeepers are Cynthia Konlan (Samartex, Ghana), Afi Amenyeku (Apolonia, Albania), and Huzeima Osman (Jonina Ladies).

The defenders selected are Comfort Yeboah (DUX Logroño), Bénédicte Simon (Servette FC Chênois, Switzerland), Anasthesia Achiaa (ETO Győr), Josephine Bonsu (Carl Zeiss Jena), Portia Boakye (TP Mazembe, DR Congo), Alex Tay (Stanford University, USA), Susan Ama Duah (Racing Power, Portugal), and Abena Anoma Opoku (East Bengal FC, India).

Midfielders in the squad include Jennifer Cudjoe (Brooklyn FC, USA), Grace Asantewaa (Juárez, Mexico), Wasiima Mohammed (Zürich FC, Switzerland), Linda Owusu Ansah (AFC Toronto, Canada), and Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah (Nottingham Forest, England).

The forwards are Evelyn Badu (Montreal Roses, Canada), Princella Adubea (Yüksekova, Turkey), Princess Marfo (PSV Eindhoven, the Netherlands), Stella Nyamekye (SK Brann, Norway), Alice Kusi (Al-Ahli, Saudi Arabia), Doris Boaduwaa (Hapoel Katamon, Israel), Sharon Sampson (Piteå IF, Sweden), Abigail Kim (Trabzonspor, Turkey), and Ajegipina Zakaria (Ampem Darkoa Ladies, Ghana).