Cameroon took a giant step towards the quarter-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after edging Ghana 1-0 in a fiercely contested Group D clash on Sunday, while Mali revived their qualification hopes with a thrilling 3-2 victory over tournament debutants Cape Verde.

The Indomitable Lionesses maintained their perfect start to the tournament, following last week’s 2-1 victory over Mali with another disciplined performance in Casablanca.

Marie Ngah Manga once again proved the difference, converting a first-half penalty in the 19th minute after a VAR review awarded Cameroon a spot-kick. The strike was her third goal of the tournament, with the forward now responsible for all of Cameroon’s goals in Morocco.

The victory also extended Cameroon’s dominance over Ghana in what was the 10th WAFCON meeting between both rivals since 1998.

Ghana pressed relentlessly for an equaliser after the break and thought they had rescued a point in the 80th minute when substitute Evelyn Badu bundled the ball home following a goalkeeping error. However, another VAR review ruled the effort out for offside.

Despite sustained late pressure from the Black Queens, Cameroon defended resolutely to secure all three points and move to six points at the top of Group D. Ghana, meanwhile, must now beat Mali in their final group match to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.

Earlier, Mali bounced back from their opening defeat with an entertaining 3-2 win over Cape Verde to remain firmly in contention for a place in the knockout rounds.

Both sides entered the encounter desperate for victory after losing their opening matches, with Mali eager to avenge the aggregate defeat Cape Verde inflicted on them during the qualification campaign.

The Lady Eagles…