Seven of the eight Women’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finalists are known: Morocco, Algeria, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Malawi, Nigeria and Cameroon. One place is left, and it is decided on Thursday at 21:00 in Mali v Ghana.
All kick-off times are local in Morocco — and the same as British Summer Time.
How Group D stands
| Pts | P | GF | GA | GD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameroon | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | +2 |
| Ghana | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
| Mali | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Cape Verde | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 |
Two matches remain, both at 21:00: Mali v Ghana and Cape Verde v Cameroon.
Two things are already settled. Cameroon finish top of the group whatever happens: Ghana and Mali play each other, so only one of them can reach six points, and if they do they lose the tiebreaker, because Cameroon have already beaten both (1-0 against Ghana, 2-1 against Mali). And Cape Verde are out: on zero points with one match left, they cannot catch anyone.
Cape Verde v Cameroon, then, does not change the bracket.
What each side needs
The last place is entirely in the hands of Mali and Ghana, with nothing depending on the other match:
| Result | Group runner-up | Quarter-final tie |
|---|---|---|
| Ghana win | Ghana (6 pts) | Malawi v Ghana, Sunday 21:00 |
| Draw | Ghana (4 pts) | Malawi v Ghana, Sunday 21:00 |
| Mali win | Mali (6 pts) | Malawi v Mali, Sunday 21:00 |
A draw is enough for Ghana. Mali have to win.
Why a draw is enough for Ghana
If they draw, both finish on four points. CAF’s first tiebreaker is what happened between the tied teams — and between them there would have been a draw, so that criterion separates nothing, nor does the next, nor the one after. All of them are exhausted and the tiebreaker falls through to overall goal difference, where Ghana are on +1 and Mali on 0.
A draw moves neither number, whatever the scoreline. Ghana go through on a 0-0 exactly as they would on a 3-3.
It is the same mechanism that eliminated Zambia in Group C with the best goal difference in the group, and that explains why Malawi, who lost their final match, sit top of it.
The quarter-final line-up
| Day | Time | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 8 | 18:00 | Ivory Coast v Algeria | Moulay Rachid, Casablanca |
| Saturday 8 | 21:00 | Morocco v South Africa | Moulay El Hassan, Rabat |
| Sunday 9 | 18:00 | Cameroon v Nigeria | Larbi Zaouli, Casablanca |
| Sunday 9 | 21:00 | Malawi v Ghana or Mali | Al Madina, Rabat |
Three ties are set. The fourth is waiting on Thursday night. The full bracket updates as results come in.
The semi-finals are on 12 August, the third-place match on 15 August and the final on 16 August. The four beaten quarter-finalists do not go home: on 13 August they play a further round that keeps a route open to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
How to watch the quarter-finals
The tournament is on Channel 4 in the UK, and free on the CAF’s YouTube channel where there is no local broadcaster. The full schedule has every kick-off time and can be downloaded.
