I am confident Black Queens will qualify for 2027 World Cup despite WAFCON elimination, says Mercy Tagoe-Quarcoo

Former Black Queens head coach Mercy Tagoe-Quarcoo remains confident that Ghana can secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup despite missing out on automatic qualification at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Ghana’s hopes of securing a direct ticket to the tournament in Brazil were dealt a blow after the Black Queens suffered a 2-1 defeat to Malawi in the WAFCON quarter-finals at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat.

The defeat means Ghana must now navigate a crucial play-in fixture against Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday, August 13, with a place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off Tournament at stake.

Tagoe-Quarcoo, who previously played for the Black Queens and also served as a FIFA referee, believes Ghana still has a strong chance of reaching the global tournament.

"I believe that Ghana will qualify for the Women's World Cup, and I am confident about that, but the only challenging aspect is that the playoff games are a lot, and that could affect the team," she told Asempa FM.

The play-in system was introduced to give teams eliminated in the WAFCON quarter-finals another route to the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

A victory over Côte d’Ivoire would send Ghana into the FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off Tournament, where teams from different confederations will compete for the remaining places at the tournament.

The first phase of the play-off tournament is scheduled to be held at a centralised venue in November and December 2026. Six teams, including two representatives from Africa, will compete for places in the final phase.

The top two teams from the opening phase will progress to the final stage in February 2027, where they will be joined by four teams from Concacaf, CONMEBOL and UEFA.

The six teams will then be divided into three knockout paths, with the winner of each path securing qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

For Ghana, however, the immediate focus will be on overcoming Côte d’Ivoire and keeping their World Cup dream alive.