Cameroon defeats Ghana 1-0, Mali edges Cape Verde 3-2 in WAFCON 2026 Group D
Cameroon secured a 1-0 victory over Ghana in their WAFCON 2026 Group D match on Sunday, with Marie Ngah Manga converting a first-half penalty awarded after a VAR review in the 19th minute. The goal was her third of the tournament, giving Cameroon all of its goals so far. The win marked Cameroon’s tenth WAFCON meeting against Ghana since 1998 and moved them to six points at the top of Group D.
Mali kept their quarter‑final hopes alive with a thrilling 3‑2 win over tournament debutants Cape Verde. Oumou Kone opened the scoring in the 29th minute from an assist by Aissata Traore, before Cape Verde’s Eve Pereira scored the nation’s first-ever WAFCON goal in the 36th minute. Traore added her second assist for Fatoumata Niakate just after halftime, and Orokia Sissoko set up Fatoumata Diarra for Mali’s third goal in the 79th minute. A late goal from Alivia Kelly, set up by Natasha Whanon, made it 3‑2, but Mali held on to finish with three points, level with Ghana.
With one round of matches remaining, Cameroon leads Group D with six points, while Ghana and Mali sit on three each and Cape Verde remain pointless. The race for the two quarter‑final spots is wide open, setting up a dramatic final matchday. Which team’s performance suggests they’ll advance, and how might that affect Africa’s representation at the next World Cup?