Cameroon moved to within touching distance of the quarter-finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 with a second successive victory in Group D.
The Indomitable Lionesses beat Ghana 1-0 at Stade Moulay Rachid in Casablanca, Morocco, on Sunday to follow up their opening 2-1 success against Mali earlier this week.
Marie Ngah Manga scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot in the 19th minute, maintaining her decisive influence in Cameroon’s campaign. The forward had scored twice in the victory over Mali and now has three goals in the tournament.
The result puts Cameroon top of the group, two places above their opponents and three points clear of the team in second place. A draw against Cape Verde on 6 August will be enough to confirm their place in the last eight.
Cameroon were again forced to protect a narrow lead after Ngah Manga’s early penalty, but Ghana could not find a goal that would have earned them a point. The Black Queens appeared to have levelled in the 79th minute, only for the goal to be ruled out following a review by the video assistant referee.
That decision preserved Cameroon’s perfect start to the group stage and left Ghana facing the prospect of needing a result in their final match to keep their qualification hopes alive.
The victory also repeated the pattern of Cameroon’s opening game, in which Ngah Manga’s two goals secured a 2-1 win over Mali. Her latest strike means she has accounted for all three of her side’s goals in the competition so far.
Cameroon’s next fixture against Cape Verde on 6 August will determine whether they formally secure a place in the quarter-finals. Even a share of the points will be sufficient for Dimitri Lipoff’s side to progress, following their wins over Mali and Ghana.
The match in Casablanca was the second Group D fixture for both teams. Cameroon had begun the tournament with their victory over Mali in midweek, while Ghana were unable to build on their challenge after the late equaliser was disallowed.
With the group standings now favouring Cameroon, the Indomitable Lionesses have taken a significant step towards the knock-out phase. Their immediate task is to complete the job against Cape Verde and turn two narrow victories into confirmed quarter-final qualification.
