WAFCON 2026: Sharon Sampson strike gives Black Queens win over Ivory Coast

The Black Queens of Ghana stepped up their preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) tournament on Tuesday with a crucial friendly match against Ivory Coast.

In the closed-door warm-up encounter played at the Stade Père Jégo in Casablanca, Morocco, a late strike from attacker Sharon Sampson proved to be the difference, giving the Black Queens a narrow victory.

A 75th-minute winner from Sharon Sampson secured a 1-0 victory over Ivory Coast in the WAFCON warm-up.

Tuesday's friendly gave Ghana head coach Kim Lars Björkegren another opportunity to evaluate his players as he continues to shape his team ahead of the start of WAFCON.

Ivory Coast also used the match to sharpen their preparations for the upcoming tournament in Morocco.

At WAFCON 2026, the Black Queens are in Group D, where they will face Cameroon, Cape Verde, and Mali.

With the tournament scheduled to kick off on July 25, 2026, the Black Queens are expected to play at least one more friendly before wrapping up their preparations.