2026 Women's AFCON: With Ghana-Cape Verde, Cameroon-Mali, Group D kicks off its first matchday this Thursday

For the opening of its tournament, Ghana comes in as the clear favorite against Cape Verde, who are discovering the competition (5 pm GMT). The Black Queens, who finished third in the previous edition after being eliminated on penalties in the semi-final against Morocco, arrive with confidence. Their qualifying run, capped off by a strong aggregate domination over Egypt, along with a solid preparation punctuated by several wins, suggests a team in top form.

On the other side, Cape Verde is experiencing a historic moment: the Blue Sharks have never before participated in the Women’s AFCON. Buoyed by the excitement generated by the men’s team’s run at the last World Cup, the Cape Verdeans are nonetheless entering this debut with worrying signs, having failed to score any goals in their last four friendly matches, marked by heavy defeats to Morocco and Côte d'Ivoire.

The gap is also clear in the FIFA rankings, where Ghana (60th) is well ahead of Cape Verde (120th). This difference in stature could well be reflected on the pitch right from the start.

Cameroon returns, Mali searching for a breakthrough

The second match of the evening, this duel between Cameroon and Mali (8 pm GMT) marks the big return of the Indomitable Lionesses to the continental stage after a four-year absence. Their last appearance, in 2022, ended with elimination in the quarter-finals, the country’s best result since the turn of the century. Cameroon approaches this match having pulled off a surprise win against reigning champions Nigeria, prevailing 1-0 in a preparation match, despite falling in the return leg.

Mali, for its part, is looking to confirm its qualification for a second consecutive knockout stage, but is still searching for its first win this year after draws against Morocco and Burkina Faso, then a defeat to Côte d’Ivoire. The recent history between the two teams favors Cameroon, which hasn’t lost to Mali since winning both of their encounters in 2018.