Mercy Tagoe-Quarcoo backs Black Queens to qualify for 2027 Womenâ??s World Cup despite WAFCON exit

Former Black Queens head coach Mercy Tagoe-Quarcoo remains confident that Ghana can secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup despite missing out on automatic qualification at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

Ghana’s hopes of securing a direct ticket to the tournament in Brazil were dented after the Black Queens suffered a 2-1 defeat to Malawi in the quarter-finals at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat.

The result means Ghana must now navigate the WAFCON play-in route, beginning with a crucial encounter against Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday, August 13.

Victory over the Ivorians will earn the Black Queens a place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off Tournament and keep their hopes of reaching the 2027 global tournament alive.

Tagoe-Quarcoo, who previously played for the Black Queens and also served as a FIFA referee, believes Ghana still has what it takes to qualify.

“I believe that Ghana will qualify for the Women’s World Cup, and I am confident about that, but the only challenging aspect is that the playoff games are a lot, and that could affect the team,” she told Asempa FM.

The WAFCON play-in was introduced to give teams eliminated at the quarter-final stage another opportunity to qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

The play-off tournament will bring together teams from different confederations to compete for the remaining places at the expanded global tournament.

The first phase is scheduled for November and December 2026 at a centralised venue, with six teams, including two representatives from Africa, competing for places in the final phase.

The two best-performing teams from the opening phase will progress to the final stage in February 2027, where they will be joined by four teams from Concacaf, CONMEBOL and UEFA.

The six teams will then be divided into three knockout paths, with the winner of each path securing a place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

For the Black Queens, the immediate focus will be on overcoming Côte d’Ivoire and taking another step towards securing a place at the global showpiece.

Send your news stories to [email protected] and via WhatsApp on +233 546310076.

Read Full Story