Cameroon face Ghana with Women’s AFCON knockout hopes at stake

Cameroon play their second group match at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations against Ghana on Sunday, with victory likely to put the Indomitable Lionesses in a strong position to reach the quarter-finals.

The Group D fixture will be held at Stade Moulay Rachid in Casablanca, Morocco, with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 French time and 18:00 in Cameroon. The match will be shown live on beIN Sports Max in France and on Canal+ Sport in Cameroon.

Cameroon began their campaign with a 2-1 defeat by Mali in midweek. Marie Ngah Manga scored both of Cameroon’s goals before being forced off with an injury, leaving her involvement in Sunday’s fixture uncertain.

A win would represent a significant step towards the knockout stages for Dimitri Lipoff and his players. Cameroon have not been eliminated in the group stage of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations since 2000, underlining the importance of avoiding another setback against Ghana.

The two sides have met four times over the past 12 years. Three of those encounters came at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, with Cameroon losing 1-0 to Ghana in 2014, winning 1-0 in 2016 and drawing 1-1 in 2018.

Their only other meeting during that period was a friendly on 20 September 2021. Ghana won that match 2-0, making it the most recent contest between the two teams.

Ghana will also have the knockout rounds in sight if they can secure another victory. The Black Queens opened their tournament with a 2-0 win over Cape Verde and currently lead Group D on goal difference, ahead of Cameroon in second place.

Both teams therefore enter Sunday’s match with the opportunity to strengthen their position before the final group fixtures. Ghana’s opening win gives them the advantage in the standings, while Cameroon must respond after their narrow defeat by Mali.

The result could have a major bearing on the race for the quarter-finals. A win for either side would provide valuable momentum and leave the victor closer to progressing to the elimination rounds, while another defeat would increase the pressure ahead of the conclusion of the group stage.