Ghana’s Black Queens, the senior women’s national team will host Mauritius in the second leg of their second-round qualifier for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games women’s football tournament on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at the Essipong Sports Stadium in Sekondi-Takoradi, Western Region. Kick-off is at 15:00 local time. Entry is free.
Ghana holds a commanding 3-0 aggregate lead after a dominant first-leg victory on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at the Côte d’Or National Sports Complex in Mauritius. Ghana controlled the game, particularly in the first half, and held firm despite an improved Mauritius showing after the break.
Venue
The match was originally planned for the Accra Sports Stadium but was relocated to Essipong by the National Sports Authority. The Sekondi Essipong Sports Stadium received conditional approval from FIFA and CAF after engagements with the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
The multi-purpose venue, opened in 2008 for the Africa Cup of Nations, has a capacity of approximately 20,000 and is the home ground of Sekondi Hasaacas FC. It has faced maintenance challenges over the years, with reports of deterioration and ongoing or planned rehabilitation works (including roofing, seating, and facilities), but it met the required standards for this fixture under conditional clearance.
The Black Queens arrived in Sekondi-Takoradi on Monday, October 12, with a full contingent of players and technical staff. They received a vibrant welcome featuring masquerades and a brass band (including performances of Kofi Kinaata songs). The team was scheduled for Matchday-1 official training at the stadium at 16:00 on October 12 (one hour, with the first 15 minutes open to media).
Competition Context
This is part of the CAF African qualifiers for the women’s Olympic football tournament at LA 2028. Ghana entered at the second round with a bye in the first round due to ranking. Mauritius advanced by defeating Djibouti. The winner of the Ghana–Mauritius tie progresses to the third round, where they are expected to face the winner of Uganda vs Zambia (Uganda leads 2-1 after the first leg on October 8; the return leg is also on October 13).
Ghana has never qualified for the Olympic women’s football tournament. Head coach Kim Lars Björkegren (Swedish) is aiming to complete the job at home and advance. The squad of 24 includes core players from the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Morocco (17 of them), returns such as Mukarama Abdulai (recovering from injury), Rose Teye Baah, Diana Amoako, Helen Alormenu and Nancy Amoh, and first senior call-ups for Rabiatu Maltiti and Margaret Agyapomaa.
In the first leg, the starting lineup featured Afi Amenyeku in goal, a centre-back pairing of Diana Amoako and debutant Margaret Agyapomaa, full-backs Comfort Yeboah and Benedicte Simon, midfielders including Jennifer Cudjoe, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah and Evelyn Badu, and attackers Abigail Kim, Alice Kusi and Stella Nyamekye.
Match Officials
FIFA appointed the following:
• Referee: Nsabima Joselyne (Burundi)
• Assistant Referee 1: Niyokindi Anitha (Burundi)
• Assistant Referee 2: Defersha Sentayehu (Ethiopia)
• Fourth Official: Shibre Yordanos Mulugeta (Ethiopia)
• Referee Assessor: Moula Slidja (Algeria)
• Match Commissioner: Cham Sainabou (The Gambia)
With a three-goal cushion, Ghana is heavily favoured to advance, though the focus will be on a professional performance in front of home fans in Takoradi to seal progression toward a historic Olympic appearance.