Mali vs Ghana LIVE: Score, Goals and Latest Updates From WAFCON 2026 Group D Clash
Mali 1-1 Ghana: Full-time analysis
The Black Queens dug deep to secure a 1-1 draw against Mali and book their place in the 2026 WAFCON knockout stage.
Kim Lars Björkegren’s side dominated proceedings, enjoying 65% possession, completing 412 passes and registering 19 shots, including nine on target. They needed only a draw to seal qualification and did just enough to get the job done.
However, Ghana will rue the needless foul that handed Mali the free-kick for their equaliser. The goal was also fortunate, taking a wicked deflection before wrong-footing Cynthia Konlan and finding the back of the net.
The Black Queens were again wasteful in front of goal, and, but for two VAR interventions that ruled out a goal and cancelled a penalty, they could have walked away with all three points.
Still, the result gets the job done, but Ghana must improve their finishing, cut out needless fouls around the box and remain switched on throughout the game.
The quarter-final against Malawi will demand even more from the Queens, particularly with the in-form Chawinga sisters posing a major threat.
FT: Mali 1-1 Ghana
83 min: Ghana make a double change as Linda Owusu Ansah and Zakari Ajegipina come on for Doris Boaduwaa and Evelyn Badu.
84 min: Mali raise the tempo as they push for a late winner.
85 min: Ghana threaten down the flank, but Mary Coudoun makes a timely clearance to deny Alice Kusi an opportunity to cause damage. The resulting corner comes to nothing as Mali win a foul inside their box.
87 min: Grace Asantewaa unleashes a thunderous half-volley, but she gets too much power behind it and sends the ball sailing over the crossbar.
88 min: Ghana come close again, but the Malian goalkeeper produces a superb save to deny Comfort Yeboah from distance. The resulting corner is cleared without much trouble.
89 min: Mali coach makes two changes as the Lady Eagles throw on fresh legs in search of a winning goal.
90 min: The referee signals three minutes of additional time.
90+1 min: Ghana win possession deep in Mali’s half and work an opening, but the resulting effort is comfortably saved by the goalkeeper.
90+3 min: Mali win a free-kick in a dangerous position. Diabate delivers, but Cynthia Konlan is alert and makes another important save to keep Ghana level.
Mali 1-1 Ghana: Tense moments as the game nears its end
68 min: Grace Asantewaa gives the ball away, and Mali nearly punish the mistake with a dangerous attack.
70 min: Ghana think they have retaken the lead! Doris Boaduwaa latches onto a through ball before sending a teasing cross into the path of Evelyn Badu, who calmly finishes. However, the referee receives a signal from the VAR room and the goal is ruled out for offside. Another heartbreak for Ghana as the score remains 1-1.
72 min: Asantewaa wins a free-kick after a powerful run is stopped by Coumba Dembele, who goes into the referee’s book for the challenge.
73 min: Ghana make their first change, with Stella Nyamekye making her WAFCON debut as she replaces Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah.
75 min: Mali win a corner and deliver into the danger zone, but Cynthia Konlan produces a brave save to keep Ghana level.
78 min: The tension is rising as the game enters its final stages. Ghana continue to dominate possession and territory, but Mali win another corner.
79 min: The set piece is delivered, but Ghana clear their lines. Mali immediately win another corner, with Dembele whipping the ball into the box before the Black Queens clear once again.
80 min: Ghana win an attacking throw-in as they continue searching for the decisive goal.
Mali 1-1 Ghana: Black Queens go close
56 min: The referee briefly stops play after a Malian player goes down.
57 min: Ghana restart and quickly push forward. A cross into the box is cleared, but the Black Queens win another corner.
58 min: So close! Doris Boaduwaa nearly restores Ghana’s lead. Alice Kusi’s cross picks out the Spartak Subotica striker, but her header flashes narrowly wide. Ghana should be back in front.
60 min: Mali win a free-kick and try their luck from distance, but the effort lacks power and is comfortably gathered by Cynthia Konlan. Ghana then come agonisingly close at the other end. A cross into the box is nodded back by Boye-Hlorkah, but Kusi cannot turn it home from close range. Evelyn Badu reacts to the rebound, only for the Malian goalkeeper to make the save.
62 min: Another huge opening for Ghana! A cross from the half-space nearly picks out Boaduwaa, but the striker cannot quite turn it home.
63 min: Mali respond with a dangerous spell of their own, working the ball around Ghana’s box before the final effort sails high over the bar. Relief for the Black Queens.
64 min: Ghana work the ball into Mali’s half, with Boaduwaa finding Boye-Hlorkah. However, the forward’s heavy touch allows Mali to clear their lines.
65 min: Grace Asantewaa bursts forward on a powerful run but is brought down by her marker, earning Ghana a free-kick. Alice Kusi delivers, but the ball fails to find a Black Queens player.
Mali 1-1 Ghana: Kadidiatou Diabate levels the score for Mali
45 min: Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah gets the second half underway, with Ghana now just 45 minutes away from a place in the 2026 WAFCON quarter-finals. Mali made two changes, bringing on Fatoumata Diarra for Fatoumata Niakate and Kadidiatou Diabate for Salimata Diarra.
46 min: Ghana captain Portia Boakye appears to have picked up a hamstring problem and is receiving attention.
49 min: Mali win a free-kick just outside Ghana’s box. Goal! Mali are level! Kadidiatou Diabate’s set piece takes a wicked deflection and wrong-foots Cynthia Konlan, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.
51 min: Ghana restart and immediately look to restore their lead. Alice Kusi’s corner causes problems, but a Malian defender rises highest to clear.
52 min: Another corner comes Ghana’s way, but Mali once again clear their lines. The Lady Eagles try to launch a counter-attack, but Ghana quickly shut it down.
54 min: The game has become a fiercely contested affair since Mali found the equaliser, with both sides battling for control.
55 min: Mali win a throw-in and look rejuvenated after drawing level. Boye-Hlorkah then fouls her marker, handing Mali another free-kick, but Cynthia Konlan stands tall to make a crucial save.
Mali 0-1 Ghana: Halftime analysis
The Black Queens have deservedly taken the lead after playing on the front foot for much of the opening 45 minutes.
Kim Lars Björkegren’s charges look far more assured than they did in the first half against Cameroon. Ghana have created several promising opportunities and could easily have gone into the break with more than a one-goal advantage.
Still, the Black Queens will be satisfied with their lead, although they must remain cautious. They have flirted with danger at times, particularly when trying to play out from the back, with Grace Asantewaa among those guilty of giving the ball away in risky areas.
Cynthia Konlan has dealt comfortably with Mali’s attempts on goal, while Ghana’s defence has generally looked solid apart from one nervy melee inside the box.
Björkegren could stick with the same lineup after the break, but he has attacking options on the bench if Ghana need to chase another goal. Sharon Sampson, Stella Nyamekye and Abigail Kofi Kim could all be introduced to add fresh energy.
The coach will also have one eye on the upcoming clash with Malawi. Linda Owusu could be brought on to protect key players such as Jennifer Cudjoe, while changes in defence are also possible, with captain Portia Boakye and Josephine Bonsu both carrying yellow cards.
Mali 0-1 Ghana: Evelyn Badu gives Ghana the lead at the break
43 min: Doris Boaduwaa is sent through on goal by Alice Kusi, but her effort clips the crossbar. Mali breathe a huge sigh of relief.
45 min: The referee signals nine minutes of additional time.
45+1 min: Portia Boakye sends a dangerous cross into the box, but substitute goalkeeper Aissatou Liberge gets a hand to it and pushes it away. Ghana win a throw-in, but the referee then awards Mali a free-kick.
45+2 min: Ghana sends a clever ball into Evelyn Badu’s path, but Liberge races off her line to collect and deals out the danger.
45+3 min: Goal! Ghana take the lead! Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah controls the ball brilliantly before showing neat footwork and setting up a teammate for a pinpoint cross. Evelyn Badu times her run perfectly and stoops low to head the ball into the net.
45+5 min: Ghana continues to push for a second. Badu gets into the box and cuts the ball back to Boaduwaa, but the striker’s effort is straight at the Malian goalkeeper.
45+7 min: Mali win a free-kick in a dangerous position, with Salamata Diarra standing over it. Ghana’s wall does its job, blocking the effort, and the rebound is also cleared.
45+8 min: Chantelle finds Boaduwaa, who patiently holds up play before winning a corner. Alice Kusi delivers another dangerous set piece, but Mali manage to clear their lines.
45+9 min: The South African referee has seen enough and blows for half-time, with Ghana taking a 1-0 lead into the break.
Mali 0-0 Ghana: VAR denies Ghana a penalty
33 min: A quick throw-in allows Kusi to find Doris Boaduwaa, who is nudged off the ball inside the box. The referee points to the spot and awards Ghana a penalty.
34 min: Wait! VAR intervenes after replays suggest Boaduwaa was in an offside position. Following the review, the referee overturns the penalty decision.
36 min: Mali win a free-kick, with Saratou opting to go directly for goal. Cynthia Konlan is alert and makes a comfortable save.
37 min: The Lady Eagles appear to have settled after soaking up Ghana’s earlier pressure. However, the Black Queens disrupt their momentum, with Alice Kusi winning a free-kick in Ghana’s half.
38 min: Play is briefly stopped after Boaduwaa races into the box from the right and attempts to deliver a cross. Her effort strikes Malian defender Orokia Sissoko in the head, sending her to the ground.
40 min: Sissoko gets back to her feet and continues. Ghana then come close as Kusi’s cross causes confusion in the Malian box. The substitute goalkeeper fails to deal with it, allowing the ball to fall to Boaduwaa, but the angle is too tight for her acrobatic effort, which is partially cleared. Ghana recycle possession before Mali finally clear their lines.
Mali 0-0 Ghana: Keenly contested with nothing to separate the two sides
24 min: Portia Boakye launches another long ball, but it sails out of play with no Ghanaian player able to get on the end of it.
25 min: The Black Queens produce some neat, intricate passing to unlock Mali’s defence and earn a throw-in. Kusi takes it quickly and gets into the box before delivering a cross, but Mali clear their lines and the referee awards the Lady Eagles a free-kick.
26 min: Mali finally escape Ghana’s sustained pressure and win a free-kick just beyond the halfway line.
27 min: Ghana defend the set piece well and win a goal kick. The Queens try to build from the back but give the ball away cheaply, allowing Mali to launch an attack that ends in a corner.
28 min: Ghana survives a huge scare. Mali’s corner is whipped into a dangerous area and sparks chaos inside the box, but the referee eventually blows for a free-kick to Ghana.
30 min: Ghana wins a free-kick around the centre circle. Yeboah receives the ball from the restart and sends a lofted pass forward, but Mali deal with the threat. The Lady Eagles then win the ball back, although Saratou Traore appears to foul her opponent in the challenge.
Mali 0-0 Ghana: Mali forced into early substitution
12 min: Ghana win a corner as the Black Queens continue to push forward.
13 min: Alice Kusi delivers a dangerous corner, and Mali struggle to clear their lines. The rebound falls to Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, but her low effort is blocked by a wall of defenders inside the box. Malian goalkeeper Fatoumata Karentao eventually gathers the ball but appears to be in discomfort after colliding with Boye-Hlorkah.
15 min: Karentao remains down and appears to be struggling to continue. After receiving treatment and having her knee strapped, however, the goalkeeper looks ready to carry on.
18 min: Ghana continue to make inroads, with Boye-Hlorkah rising to meet a cross, but her header is comfortably saved by Karentao.
19 min: The Black Queens turn up the pressure. Alice Kusi sends Evelyn Badu through, but a Malian defender blocks her cross. Ghana quickly recycle possession, and Boye-Hlorkah plays a clever through ball for Badu, but Karentao races off her line to collect.
20 min: Karentao goes down again, and this time she cannot continue. The Malian goalkeeper leaves the pitch after making several important interventions, with Aissatou Liberge coming on as her replacement.
Mali 0-0 Ghana: Evenly balanced affair so far
1 min: Mali get us underway at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca. Ghana quickly win possession through Grace Asantewaa, but the Queens give it away before regaining control.
2 min: Ghana swiftly turn defence into attack, with Alice Kusi racing down the flank to deliver a first-time cross. Doris Boaduwaa gets on the end of it, but the Malian goalkeeper makes a comfortable save.
3 min: Ghana look a little shaky as an unforced error gifts Mali a corner. The South African referee takes a moment to organise the players inside the box before the set piece.
4 min: The Black Queens patiently build from the back, but Asantewaa is caught in possession. Saratou tries her luck from distance, but the effort lacks direction.
5 min: Mali are winning most of the 50-50 duels so far. Ghana earn a throw-in, but Comfort Yeboah's delivery sails harmlessly away.
6 min: Boye-Hlorkah wins Ghana a corner after her effort takes a deflection off a Malian defender. The set piece is cleared, and Ghana waste the chance to recycle possession as a hopeful long ball finds no teammate.
7 min: Ghana win an attacking throw-in, but the opportunity comes to nothing after Evelyn Badu goes down following a challenge from Mali's Saratou.
8 min: Mali restart play and win a free-kick after Alice Kusi uses too much force in her attempt to regain possession. The South African referee immediately points for the foul.
9 min: The Lady Eagles take the free-kick short, trying to catch Ghana out with a clever pass into the left channel. However, the ball runs beyond the intended Malian attacker and goes out of play.
10 min: Ghana look comfortable but are taking risks with their passing at the back. They eventually work their way forward, but the resulting shot from near the box is straight at the Malian goalkeeper.
