Black Queens Roar Back to Beat Côte d’Ivoire, Keep Brazil 2027 Dream Alive

Ghana’s Black Queens have kept their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup alive after staging an impressive comeback to defeat Côte d’Ivoire 2-1 in their CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations play-off in Casablanca on Thursday.

The victory earns Ghana one of Africa’s two places in the FIFA inter-confederation play-offs and moves the Black Queens closer to ending a two-decade absence from the global tournament.

Early Setback for Ghana
Ghana endured a difficult start at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium after Côte d’Ivoire took an early lead. Ines Konan converted a penalty in the fourth minute to put the Lady Elephants ahead and leave the Black Queens chasing the game.

Despite the early setback, Ghana remained composed and returned from the halftime break with greater urgency and attacking intent.

Second-Half Comeback
Princess Marfo restored parity in the 59th minute, giving the Black Queens renewed confidence as they pushed for the decisive goal.

Their persistence paid off in the 72nd minute when Josephine Bonsu converted from the penalty spot to put Ghana 2-1 ahead and complete the comeback.

Coach Kim Lars Björkegren’s side then showed resilience and discipline to protect the advantage during the closing stages. Sharon Sampson, Alice Sarpong and Linda Owusu were introduced late in the match as Ghana sought to maintain control and see out the victory.

World Cup Return Within Reach
The result represents a significant step in Ghana’s bid to return to the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time since 2007. The Black Queens featured in three consecutive editions of the tournament in 1999, 2003 and 2007 but have failed to qualify for the last four editions.

Both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire entered the play-off after missing out on automatic qualification through the WAFCON quarter-finals, making Thursday’s encounter crucial to their World Cup ambitions.

While Ghana’s dream remains alive, the defeat ends Côte d’Ivoire’s hopes of making a second appearance at the Women’s World Cup following their debut in 2015.

One Final Hurdle to Brazil 2027
The Black Queens will now turn their attention to the FIFA inter-confederation play-offs, where they will have another opportunity to secure a coveted ticket to Brazil 2027.

For Ghana, the victory also provides a measure of redemption following the disappointment of failing to reach the WAFCON semi-finals.

After years away from women’s football’s biggest stage, the Black Queens are now within touching distance of a long-awaited World Cup return. One final qualification hurdle remains, but Ghana’s dream of Brazil 2027 is very much alive.