Ghana lost their first game of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, falling to Cameroon 1-0.
The Black Queens were defeated by the tournament’s returning team on matchday two in Group D thanks to a penalty kick in the first half.
Marie Gisele Ngah Manga gave Cameroon an early lead from the penalty spot.
Benedicte Simon’s hand contacting the ball prompted a lengthy VAR review that resulted in the advantage being called.
Cynthia Konlan was sent the wrong way and Manga made no errors from the spot, opening the game’s scoring.
Ghana’s level was nearly equalized by Doris Boaduwaa, but her shot from close range was unsuccessful against the Cameroonian goalie.
Ghana was looking for the equalizer, but Cameroon maintained possession for the majority of the first half, maintaining their control over the game.
Despite a powerful finish to the half, Ghana could not draw level as Cameroon carried a 1-0 advantage into the break.
Evelyn Badu was brought in as a substitute by Kim Llars Björkegren after the first half.
Although Portia Boakye and Evelyn Badu made two close calls, the Queens were unable to score and continued their hunt for the equalizer.
Badu believed she had brought Ghana back to parity, but her goal was disallowed due to an offside during the build-up.
Despite a late effort, the Black Queens were unable to draw level and fell short
Knowing that a victory advances them to the next round of the competition, Ghana will play Mali in their last group match on August 6.
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