The Black Queens of Ghana have been drawn against the defending champions South Africa, Mali, and Tanzania in Group F of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The draw which took place at the Mohammed VI Technical Centre in Salé this Friday, November 22, 2024, at 1900 GMT, paired the top 12 teams on the continent to compete.
Coach Nora Hauptle’s side has been in tremendous form and on an upward trajectory since she took charge in January 2023.
Her “mission volta” project has been relatively successful despite the Black Queen’s failing to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Hauptle’s women will be put to the test again as they come up against Banyana Banyana of South Africa, Les Aiglonnes of Mali, and Twiga Stars of Tanzania.
Group A includes the host country Morocco, Zambia, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while Group B includes Nigeria, Algeria, Tunisia, and Botswana.
Morocco will host the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations from July 5–26, 2025.
Once considered Nigeria's primary rival for supremacy on the continent, Ghana made it to three consecutive Women's World Cups from 1999 to 2007 before suffering a terrible decline in form.
The Black Queens hosted the 2018 Women's Africa Cup of Nations, however, they lost badly in the group stage and didn't even make it to Morocco for the 2022 tournament.
This is, therefore, a perfect chance for redemption as the Black Queens head into the tournament, this time, not as heavy favourites.
They defeated Niger 3-1 in the first leg in Accra before losing 1-0 away, but that was enough to qualify them for the first time in six years.