Ghana’s Black Queens suffered their first defeat at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), losing 1-0 to Cameroon in their second Group D fixture at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca on Sunday.
A first-half penalty converted by Marie Gisele Ngah Manga proved decisive as the Indomitable Lionesses secured all three points to boost their chances of progressing to the knockout stage.
The decisive moment came after a lengthy Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, with the referee awarding Cameroon a penalty after Benedicte Simon was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the penalty area.
Manga confidently stepped up and sent Ghana goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan the wrong way to give Cameroon the lead.
Ghana responded positively and nearly found an equaliser before the break when Doris Boaduwaa found space inside the box, but her close-range effort was brilliantly denied by the Cameroonian goalkeeper.
Cameroon enjoyed the better share of possession throughout much of the opening half, dictating the tempo and limiting Ghana’s attacking opportunities.
Although the Black Queens finished the half strongly, they were unable to find a breakthrough as Cameroon headed into the interval with a slender advantage.
Head coach Kim Lars Björkegren reshuffled his side after the restart, introducing Evelyn Badu in a bid to inject more creativity into Ghana’s attack.
The changes brought renewed energy, with Portia Boakye and Badu both threatening the Cameroonian defence.
Badu appeared to have restored parity when she found the back of the net, only for the goal to be ruled out following a VAR review that detected an offside in the build-up.
The Black Queens continued to push for a late equaliser, but Cameroon remained resilient at the back to preserve their narrow lead and hand Ghana their first loss of the tournament.
The defeat leaves Ghana with everything to play for heading into their final Group D fixture against Mali on August 6, with kick-off scheduled at 20:00 GMT.
The Black Queens will need victory to secure a place in the knockout stages of the competition.
