The preparations of Ghana for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) have been altered after a planned international friendly against Nigeria was cancelled.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) announced on Friday night that the much-anticipated meeting between the Black Queens and the Super Falcons would no longer take place, leaving Ghana to continue its build-up to the continental tournament without facing the record African champions.
In a brief statement, the GFA said: “The friendly match between Black Queens and Super Falcons has been called off. We continue to prep for WAFCON.”
The cancellation comes as Ghana’s squad continues its training camp in Morocco, where the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations is set to take place from 25 July to 16 August.
The Black Queens had included the fixture against Nigeria as part of their final preparations for the tournament, with the match expected to provide a valuable assessment against one of Africa’s strongest women’s national teams.
Instead, head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren will now have to complete his planning without the opportunity to test his players against the nine-time continental champions.
The change in schedule means Ghana’s technical team will focus on training sessions and other aspects of its preparations before the team’s opening match of the competition.
Ghana have been drawn in Group D alongside Cape Verde, Cameroon and Mali.
The Black Queens are due to begin their campaign against Cape Verde on 29 July at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca, before continuing their group-stage programme against Cameroon and Mali.
The friendly against Nigeria had been expected to offer another competitive outing ahead of the tournament, allowing Bjorkegren to further assess his squad before selecting his preferred combinations for the group phase.
Although that fixture will no longer be played, Ghana have already completed one warm-up match during their preparations.
The Black Queens recorded a 1-0 victory over Ivory Coast in an earlier friendly, giving the coaching staff an opportunity to evaluate the team’s readiness ahead of the continental championship.
With the Nigeria encounter cancelled, attention now turns fully to the remaining days of preparation before the tournament begins.
Bjorkegren is expected to use the time to continue refining his team’s tactics, assess the condition of his players and complete the final stages of planning for Ghana’s campaign.
The Black Queens will head into WAFCON aiming to make a strong impression in Group D, where they face three challenging opponents in Cape Verde, Cameroon and Mali.
The cancellation of the Nigeria fixture removes what would have been one of Ghana’s highest-profile warm-up matches, but the team’s focus remains firmly on ensuring it is ready for the start of the tournament in Morocco.
As preparations continue, the Black Queens will seek to build on the confidence gained from their victory over Ivory Coast while making the necessary adjustments ahead of their opening match against Cape Verde.
The GFA’s announcement brings an end to anticipation surrounding the West African meeting, with Ghana instead set to complete its WAFCON preparations through training as the countdown to the tournament continues.
