Ghana and Nigeria progress as Women's U-20 World Cup qualifying reaches final stage

Ghana’s Black Princesses and Nigeria’s Falconets have secured their places in the final round of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers for Africa after hard-fought victories on Saturday.

The Black Princesses advanced with a 1-0 win over South Africa in Nelspruit, sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory.

A 63rd-minute strike from midfielder Priscilla Mensah was enough to settle the tie at the Mbombela Stadium, following a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Accra.

Nigeria also progressed by defeating Senegal 2-1 away from home to complete a 3-1 aggregate win.

Goals from Chinaza Kindness Ifeanyi and Precious Oscar ensured the Falconets remain on track for their 12th tournament appearance.

In a dramatic encounter in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania overcame a first-leg deficit against Kenya, winning 1-0 to level the aggregate score before triumphing 3-1 on penalties.

Meanwhile, Uganda booked their clash against Ghana by defeating Zambia 1-0 on the road, following a 1-1 draw in the first leg.

Other nations joining the final eight include Cameroon, who progressed 5-1 on aggregate despite a narrow second-leg loss to Botswana, and Benin, who dominated Egypt with a 4-0 second-leg victory. 

Malawi and Cote d'Ivoire also advanced, with Malawi thrashing Guinea-Bissau 5-1 in their return leg.

The final round of home-and-away fixtures is scheduled for May 2026, where the four winners will officially qualify for the World Cup in Poland.

The matches are scheduled from May 1st to 10th, 2026.

Final Round Matchups (May 2026):

·      

Ghana vs Uganda

·       Nigeria vs Malawi

·       Cameroon vs Tanzania

·      Cote d'Ivoire vs Benin