Ghana’s Black Queens have been drawn to face the winner of the preliminary tie between Mauritius and Djibouti in the second round of the African qualifiers for the women’s football tournament at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
The draw was conducted on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at the headquarters of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Cairo, Egypt, and broadcast live on CAF TV.
Ghana received a bye from Round One by virtue of their continental ranking. The Black Queens sit third in Africa and 59th in the current FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) Women’s World Rankings, a standing that placed them, alongside Nigeria and South Africa, among the highest-ranked sides exempted from the opening round.
Six lower-ranked nations, Sudan, Mauritius, Djibouti, South Sudan, Madagascar, and Comoros, will contest three preliminary ties in the period of June 1 to 9, 2026. The winners advance to Round Two, which is scheduled for October 5 to 13, 2026, where they will join the remaining 29 teams that received byes, including Ghana.
A total of 35 African nations are competing for only two continental qualification spots. The campaign will run across five knockout rounds, all played over two legs on a home-and-away basis. Round Three is set for February and March 2027, Round Four for October 2027, and the final decisive round for November and December 2027.
The stakes are significant for the Black Queens. Ghana are still chasing a first-ever appearance at the Olympic Games after narrowly missing out in the previous qualification cycle, when they were eliminated by Zambia at the final hurdle.
With a favourable entry point and a strong continental ranking, the Black Queens will begin their 2028 Olympic campaign in October against either Mauritius or Djibouti, the two lowest-ranked sides in the preliminary draw.
The women’s football tournament at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games is scheduled for July 11 to 29, 2028.
