Black Queens Suffer First WAFCON Defeat After Cameroon Edge Tight Contest
Ghana’s Black Queens were beaten for the first time at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after falling to a 1-0 defeat against Cameroon in their second Group D fixture.
A first-half penalty from Marie Gisele Ngah Manga settled a fiercely contested encounter, giving the Indomitable Lionesses maximum points and leaving Ghana with everything to play for in their final group match against Mali.
The decisive moment came after a lengthy VAR review, which determined that Benedicte Simon had handled the ball inside the penalty area. Manga calmly converted from the spot, sending goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan the wrong way to hand Cameroon the lead.
Despite conceding, the Black Queens refused to retreat and pushed for an equaliser before halftime. Doris Boaduwaa came closest, but her effort from close range was denied by the Cameroonian goalkeeper.
Head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren responded after the interval by introducing attacking reinforcements, including Evelyn Badu, as Ghana looked to increase the pressure.
The changes injected fresh energy into the Black Queens’ attack, with Portia Boakye and Badu both testing the Cameroon defence during an improved second-half display.
Ghana appeared to have found the breakthrough when Badu put the ball into the net, only for celebrations to be cut short after the effort was ruled out for offside following a review.
The Black Queens continued to press until the final whistle but were unable to find a way past a resolute Cameroonian defence, ending the contest empty-handed.
The result leaves Ghana with a decisive final Group D fixture against Mali on August 6, where victory will be essential if the Black Queens are to secure a place in the knockout stages of the tournament.
After opening their campaign with a win over Cape Verde, the Black Queens will now look to bounce back quickly and keep their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals alive.
