Black Queens midfielder Jennifer Cudjoe has urged Ghanaians to keep believing in the team as they prepare for their decisive Group D clash against Mali at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Ghana face Mali on Thursday at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca, knowing that victory will secure a place in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

The Black Queens opened their campaign with a 2- 0 victory over tournament debutants Cape Verde before suffering a narrow defeat to Cameroon, leaving qualification to be decided in their final group match.

Despite the setback, Cudjoe remains optimistic about Ghana’s chances of progressing and achieving their goals in Morocco.

“We want to be the best. We want to get to the World Cup and also get to the final,” she told the media on Wednesday.

“It is always good to hear the feedback from the fans. We are going to show up and prove to them that we are here, and they should trust us,” she added.

A win over Mali would send the Black Queens into the WAFCON quarter-finals and keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Ghana have not appeared at the Women’s World Cup since 2007, missing the last four editions of the tournament, and the tournament’s four semi-finalists at this year’s WAFCON will earn qualification for the 2027 finals.

To end that long absence, the Black Queens must reach the semi-finals in Morocco. Cudjoe and her teammates will be aiming to deliver a convincing performance against Mali on Thursday and move one step closer to returning to football’s biggest stage.

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