Black Queens handed tricky World Cup play-off path with Ecuador, Papua New Guinea

Ghana’s Black Queens have been handed a challenging route in their bid to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with Ecuador, Uzbekistan and Papua New Guinea standing between them and a place in the final phase of the play-off tournament.

The Black Queens will begin their campaign against Ecuador before taking on Uzbekistan in their second match and rounding off the preliminary phase against Papua New Guinea.

The six-team preliminary phase is scheduled for November 24 to December 5, 2026, with Ghana among the teams battling for a chance to progress to the decisive stage of the qualification process.

Ghana’s play-off fixtures

Matchday 1: Ghana vs Ecuador

Matchday 2: Uzbekistan vs Ghana

Matchday 3: Papua New Guinea vs Ghana

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The Black Queens secured their place in the play-offs after beating Côte d’Ivoire 2-1 in the WAFCON 2026 play-in round.

That victory revived Ghana’s hopes of returning to the global stage after the team suffered a 2-1 quarter-final defeat to Malawi at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Ghana will now need consistency throughout the preliminary phase, with every point potentially proving crucial in determining who advances.

The play-off tournament brings together six teams, including Ghana, South Africa, Ecuador, Uzbekistan, Chinese Taipei and Papua New Guinea. Ghana and Ecuador were among the lowest-ranked teams in the draw.

The Black Queens have not featured at the Women’s World Cup since their last appearance in 2007.

With the 2027 tournament set to be staged in Brazil, Ghana’s latest opportunity offers a chance to end a two-decade wait for a return to the world’s biggest stage in women’s football.



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