Mali and Ghana meet with knockout place on the line in Casablanca

Mali’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2026 will be decided when they face Ghana in their final Group D match on Thursday.

The game will be played at Stade Moulay Rachid in Casablanca, Morocco, with kick-off scheduled for 22:00 French time and 20:00 in Mali.

Supporters in France can watch the match on beIN Sports Max 5, while the fixture will be shown in Mali on Canal+ Sport Afrique.

Mali must win to move above Ghana and secure a place in the last eight. Any other result will end their campaign at the group stage.

The Eagles began the tournament with a 2-1 defeat by Cameroon but responded with a 3-2 victory over Cape Verde. They are currently third in Group D, behind Ghana on goal difference.

Ghana sit second after beating Cape Verde 2-0 in their opening match before losing 1-0 to Cameroon. The Black Queens therefore hold the advantage in the standings ahead of the decisive meeting in Casablanca.

Birama Konate’s side have little room for error after allowing their position to slip in the early stages of the competition. A victory would take Mali above Ghana and give them the opportunity to continue their run at the tournament, while a draw or defeat would confirm their elimination.

The two teams have met five times previously at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, with every encounter taking place in the group stage.

Ghana won the first three meetings. The Black Queens recorded a 2-0 victory in 2002, followed by a 1-0 success in 2006 and a 3-1 win in 2016.

Mali claimed their first victory in this fixture in 2018, winning 2-1. The most recent meeting ended in a 1-1 draw last year.

That history adds further context to a match in which Mali need to change the balance of previous encounters and produce the result that would carry them into the quarter-finals. Ghana, meanwhile, know that avoiding defeat will be enough to preserve their position above their opponents and keep their own knockout-stage hopes alive.