Super Falcons rivals watch — Evelyn Badu fires lucky Ghana into explosive WAFCON 2026 Malawi clash

The Super Falcons have learned the identity of another potential roadblock to their crown after continental rivals Ghana narrowly escaped a catastrophic group-stage exit to book a high-stakes WAFCON 2026 quarter-final date with Malawi.

Swedish head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren and his Black Queens squad knew that avoiding defeat against a dangerous Mali side would be just enough to crawl into the knockout rounds.

They did exactly that, grinding out a highly nervous, frantic 1-1 draw at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca.

However, the performance was far from fluent, leaving the Ghanaians relying heavily on sheer luck to survive a relentless second-half onslaught.

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Following their previous narrow defeat to Cameroon, Ghana entered the tactical decider under immense pressure from their home media.

The opening exchanges transformed into a physical, baseline war in midfield. Mali suffered an early heartbreak when midfielder Aissata Kante was stretched off through injury after just 22 minutes, forcing an emergency tactical reshuffle.

Just when it appeared the tightly contested West African derby would head into the interval deadlocked, the Black Queens struck gold deep into first-half injury time.

Comfort Yeboah delivered a sublime, inviting pass straight into the danger zone, allowing the electric Evelyn Badu to keep her composure and calmly slot home a priceless opener.

However, if Bjorkegren believed the 1-0 cushion would settle his players' nerves, the Lady Eagles had entirely different ideas.

Mali emerged from the half-time break with furious intent and completely punished Ghana’s defensive complacency just five minutes into the second half.

Kadidiatou Diabate aggressively exploited a massive structural gap inside the penalty area, firing a clinical, low strike past the Ghanaian goalkeeper to restore parity.

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The equaliser completely transformed the pitch into an absolute siege as Mali threw everything forward, desperately hunting the winner they needed to repeat their famous 2018 giant-killing exploit.

Bjorkegren reacted frantically by throwing on a convoy of attacking substitutes, including Stella Nyamekye and Doris Boaduwaa, to inject fresh energy into a tiring side.

Despite multiple close shaves at either end during a breathless stoppage-time block, neither nation could find the decisive breakthrough before the final whistle.

The draw, coupled with Cape Verde's shock 1-1 draw against Cameroon, means Cameroon top Group D with seven points, whilst Ghana secure second place on four points.

Mali were brutally eliminated from the tournament on goal difference despite also finishing on four points, leaving their squad in absolute tears.

Ghana march on to face table-toppers Malawi in a blockbuster quarter-final war where a direct ticket to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil hangs on the line.