After months and days of anticipation, the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) kicks off tomorrow in Morocco as 16 teams, including Ghana's Black Queens, begin their quest to chase history, pride and glory.
Starting from tomorrow and for the next three weeks, these teams will slug it out in the 14th edition of the tournament, not just for the trophy, but also for the four automatic Women's World Cup (WWC) slots for the 2027 edition, a situation that raises the stakes in the tournament that makes a third successive return to Morocco.
Originally planned to take place in March, the date was rescheduled as hosts Morocco said they were not ready to host it on the original date, and after the initial disappointment and then anticipation, all is set for some of Africa's shining and budding stars to get into the spotlight and dazzle the world with their skills and talent.
Groups
Of the 16 teams that have assembled in Morocco, only two teams are newcomers — Cape Verde and Malawi — while the other 14 have had many appearances, the majority of them as recent as the last edition of the WAFCON.
This looks set to serve up many repeats and revenge agendas from tomorrow when the first game is played until the final game on August 16, as the teams return to complete unfinished business in their rivalry, beyond the quest to chase the title the 2026 WAFCON title and a ticket to the 2027 WWC.
From Group A, hosts Morocco will be keen to end the heartbreak of hosting but not winning the two previous editions, which they lost to South Africa (2022) and Nigeria (2024).
The competition gets off to an explosive opening in Group A with Senegal playing Algeria and Morocco up against Kenya tomorrow.
On Monday, 2022 champions South Africa's Bayana Bayana will face Tanzania while Cote d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso get into a francophone duel.
Group C takes its turn on Tuesday with Zambia playing Egypt while Nigeria take on debutants, Malawi.
Ghana's Black Queens will have to wait for their turn on Wednesday when they kick off their campaign against Cabo Verde.
The other Group D encounter will feature Cameroun against Mali.
Queens' ready for mission
This year, the Queens go to Morocco with a higher sense of purpose to accomplish an unfulfilled mission that has been on their drawing board for years - to grab a WWC slot and also an ultimate mission of winning their first WAFCON, a dream which is yet to become a reality after 18 years.
Three times in 1998, 2002 and 2006, they came so close, but were denied by arch-rivals, Nigeria, but this year, they dare to dream again, not just a stronger burning desire, but armed with the best preparations they may have ever had.
When Swedish coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren took charge of the team and led them to the 2024 WAFCON, many did not know what to expect because he was new to the terrain and was still getting to know his team.
Against the odds, he led them to a bronze medal finish, beating then defending champions, Bayana.
After a year in charge, Bjorkegren and his ladies have forged a friendship that has sparked confidence, a common sense of purpose and desire to make history together and are ready to accomplish their mission of ending a 20-year absence from the WWC and, importantly, lift the WAFCON trophy for the first time.
That relationship is already proving productive and reflected in the way they have gone about their work.
They have steadily improved in their performances, the latest being two wins out of the three international friendlies they have played in the past week in preparation for the WAFCON.
They beat Cote d'Ivoire (1-0), were held by Tanzania (0-0) and won against Malawi (4-0) in the final game, the five goals shared by Sharon Sampson (2) and Doris Boaduwaa (3).
While the outcome of such trial matches may not mean much when the competition gets underway, it serves a purpose, though, helping the coach know where his team is and giving him time to plot how he can get them to accomplish their mission.
Added to building the team, Bjorkegren's technical team has been beefed up, with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) bringing on Pierre Persson, Frank Peterson and James Slaughter, all from Sweden, to help strengthen the areas they need to get better at.
Persson is on the team to strengthen their set pieces and passing drills, while Peterson will focus on the goalkeepers.
Slaughter will be the team's new Video Analyst, a role which has become almost an important feature for most national teams.
With this, Bjorkegren is confident he has his team set to achieve the target they have individually and collectively set for themselves and, by so doing, claim a page in the history books of the WAFCON.
