* The island nation off the coast of west Africa beat Mali 4-3 on aggregate in the WAfCON Morocco 2026 qualifiers to join Malawi Scorchers as tournament debutants
* Since then, they have failed to win their last five games, recording one draw and four defeats — including the 0-2 loss to Ghana in Group D opener
Maravi Express
Familiar foes since the qualifiers to this Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON) Morocco 2026, there will be no margin for error when debutants Cape Verde take on Mali in a must-win Group D encounter from 22h00.
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The island nation off the coast of west Africa beat Mali 4-3 on aggregate in the WAfCON Morocco 2026 qualifiers to join Malawi Scorchers as tournament debutants
Since then, they have failed to win their last five games, recording one draw and four defeats — including the 0-2 loss to Ghana in Group D opener.
Ahead of the tournament, all eyes were on Cape Verde women to see if they would replicate the men’s fairytale run at FIFA World Cup™ 2026 where they had a fairytale run by playing three Group H games unbeaten.
However, all is not lost yet as they still have two matches left, starting with Mali tonight and on Thursday against Cameroon — who beat Mali 2-1 and lie on second place on goal difference.
The islanders
Head coach Silvéria Nédio believes that the recent past results are part of the learning journey for her team who are competing on the highest stage for the very first time.
“We want to give our best,” she is quoted as saying by CAFonline. “We need to win. We are better prepared. It is a very important match for us to win.
“We shall believe in our tactics and try to get the maximum points. There is a lot at stake for our country. We have to stay strong, focused, have a good attitude and with a positive mindset so that we can achieve our goal.”
Eveline Pereira, who missed the first game because of amassing two yellow cards, said: “Mali is a team that we know already. It will be a difficult game.
“We want to win and continue but we need to play very hard. I believe we are all prepared. I am ready now to do my best and to make my country proud. If we want something then we have to fight for it.”
With the two teams both looking for their first victory at the tournament, Cape Verde’s Sylviane Gomes and Mali’s Yakaré Niakaté — who are teammates at French club OGC Nice — will find themselves on opposite sides of this battle.
Mali
Mali have never kept a clean sheet against tournament debutants, conceding in all six previous matches while Cape Verde managed one shot on target in their WAfCON opener against Ghana — attempted by Sandra Martins.
Mali are at the continental showpiece after CAF expanded the number of teams from 12 to 16 thanks to the latter being among the top four ranked teams not to have qualified for the tournament.
This context is not lost on tonight’s showdown at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca.
Meanwhile, finishing top of Group D and staying unbeaten is non-negotiable for both Ghana and Cameroon in the first encounter (19h00).
Victory in their opening matches has given the two teams the necessary confidence coming into this battle of two titans.
Two great footballing nations in Africa and the world, this will be the 10th time that Ghana and Cameroon will meet at the WAfCON with the Black Queens winning five times while the Indomitable Lionesses have come out top thrice and have drawn once.
All nine of their previous WAfCON meetings have produced goals. With this in mind, this evening’s clash at the Moulay Rachid Stadium is expected to produce not just fireworks but a physical encounter between two sides that like to press high up.
When the Indomitable Lionesses failed to qualify for last edition’s WAfCON, it was unheard of – the kind of result that leaves one’s jaw on the floor!
Cameroon
The three-time WAfCON finalists in 2004, 2014 and 2016 at home and bronze medalists on three occasions in 2002, 2012 and 2018 are one of the top teams on the African continent.
In fact, between the first WAfCON edition in 1998, Cameroon reached every single semifinal until 2018 except for the 2000 edition.
And then the decline began. They lost the quarterfinals in 2022 to Nigeria 1-0 and failed to qualify for both the 2024 and 2026 editions but they returned to the fold for the current tournament after it was expanded from 12 to 16 teams with rankings coming in handy.
For the Black Queens of Ghana, they have not won their second group game in their last five tournament appearances, recording three draws and two defeats — with their last victory in a second group game being a 3-2 win over Tunisia in 2008.
Ghana
But their clean sheet against Cape Verde, which was their first in six group matches — having conceded in each of their previous five — is a sign of better days.
After missing out the 2022 edition, Ghana returned to the last WAfCON desperate to make amends from when they failed to get out of the group stages in 2018 at home.
This resolve saw them finish third and with the bronze medals, they have since embarked on a journey to conquer Africa.
To do that, they played two friendly games against the reigning European champions England losing 2-0 in Birmingham and defeating Russia 4-0, who are ranked 27th globally.
This is the two teams’ first WAfCON meeting since 2018, when their final group game ended 1-1. Hosts Ghana went ahead through the Black Queens current captain Portia Boakye in the 31st minute before Christine Manie equalised from the penalty spot in the 41st.
This will be their seventh group stage meeting. Ghana won four of the previous six, in 1998, 2000, 2006 and 2014. Cameroon won in 2010, while their 2018 meeting ended in a draw.—Reporting by CAFonline; editing by Maravi Express
Results and fixtures (kick-off times CAT beamed live on SuperSport live on DStv Channel 225 (https://dstv.stream) and on GOtv Channel 61 (https://gotv.stream):
Group stages
Group A
Algeria 2-0 Senegal
Morocco 4-0 Kenya
Thursday, July 30
Senegal 1-0 Kenya
Morocco 1-0 Algeria
Monday, August 3
Senegal v Morocco (22h00)
Kenya v Algeria (22h00)
Group B
South Africa 1-2 Tanzania
Côte d’Ivoire 4-1 Burkina Faso
South Africa 2-2 Côte d’Ivoire
Burkina Faso 2-1 Tanzania
Tuesday, August 4
Burkina Faso v South Africa (22h00)
Tanzania v Côte d’Ivoire (22h00)
Group C
Zambia 6-0 Egypt
Nigeria 3-2 Malawi
Egypt 1-3 Malawi
Nigeria 1-9 Zambia
Wednesday, August 5
Egypt v Nigeria (22h00)
Malawi v Zambia (22h00)
Standings
Group D
Today, July 29
Ghana 2-0 Cape Verde
Cameroon 2-1 Mali
Sunday, August 2
Ghana v Cameroon (19h00)
Mali v Cape Verde (22h00)
Thursday, August 6
Mali v Ghana (22h00)
Cape Verde v Cameroon (22h00)
Quarterfinals
Saturday, August 8
QF 2: Winner Group B v 2nd Place Group A (19h00)
QF 1: Winner Group A v 2nd Place Group B (22h00)
Sunday, August 9
QF 4: Winner Group D v 2nd Place Group C (19h00)
QF 3: Winner Group C v 2nd Place Group D (22h00)
Semifinals
Wednesday, August 12
SF2: Winner QF2 v Winner QF3 (19h00)
SF1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF4 (22h00)
World Cup 2027 play-off matches
Thursday, August 13
Loser QF2 v Loser QF3 (19h00)
Loser QF1 v Loser QF4 (22h00)
Third place play-off
Saturday, August 15
Loser SF1 v Loser SF2 (19h00)
WAfCON 2026 final
Sunday, August 16
Winner SF1 v Winner SF2 (Moulay Hassan Stadium or Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, (21h00)
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