Egypt suffered a loss to Ghana in the first leg of the final round of 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers.
The Black Queens took control late in the first half, with Doris Boaduwaa opening the scoring in the 42nd minute.
Before they could get a chance to bounce back, Egypt were reduced to ten players in the 65th minute after Habiba Essam received a red card. The dismissal significantly weakened the team for the rest of the match.
In the final ten minutes, substitute Mari Amponsah doubled Ghana’s lead in the 85th after a rebound off Egyptian goalkeeper Farah Samir. To seal the deal, Grace Asantewaa scored third goal deep into stoppage time.
Coach Ahmed Ramadan made attacking substitutions in the second half, introducing Nadine Ghazi, Thoraya Ashraf, and Menna Ezzat in an effort to chase the game. However, Ghana’s experience and clinical finishing proved too much.
The Pharaohs had reached this stage after eliminating Rwanda in the previous round, winning 1–0 in Cairo before drawing 2–2 away.
Egypt now face an uphill battle in the return leg, with qualification to the 2026 WAFCON, to be held in Morocco for a third straight edition, hanging by a thread.