Tanzania’s senior women’s national football team captain Opa Clement in action during the friendly match against Ghana in Morocco on Tuesday. Twiga Stars delivered an encouraging performance ahead of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), holding the Black Queens to a goalless draw. PHOTO | COURTESY
The result offers a timely confidence boost for coach Bakari Shime’s side as they complete their preparations for the continental showpiece
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania's senior women's national football team, Twiga Stars, delivered another encouraging performance ahead of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after holding Ghana to a goalless draw in an international friendly in Morocco on Tuesday.
The result offers a timely confidence boost for coach Bakari Shime's side as they complete their preparations for the continental showpiece, which kicks off on July 26 in Morocco. Tanzania will compete in a challenging Group B alongside defending champions South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso.
Twiga Stars produced a disciplined defensive display to frustrate one of Africa's traditional powerhouses, with Ghana dominating possession but failing to find a breakthrough against Tanzania's organised backline.
The Black Queens controlled much of the match and dictated the tempo from the opening whistle, but they struggled to convert their superiority into meaningful scoring opportunities. Tanzania remained compact throughout the contest, limiting Ghana's attacking options and forcing them to settle for efforts from less dangerous positions.
Whenever they regained possession, Twiga Stars looked dangerous on the counterattack, using their pace and teamwork to keep Ghana's defence alert. Although neither side created many clear-cut chances, Tanzania's defensive resilience ensured the match ended in a goalless stalemate.
The result provides valuable encouragement for Twiga Stars just days before their WAFCON campaign begins. Tanzania will open their Group B campaign against South Africa on July 27 before facing Burkina Faso on July 31 and concluding the group stage against Côte d'Ivoire on August 4.
For Ghana, the draw exposed the need for greater attacking efficiency despite their dominance in possession. The Black Queens will now turn their attention to Group D, where they are set to face Cape Verde, Cameroon and Mali in what is expected to be another competitive section.
Elsewhere, Côte d'Ivoire returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mali at the Berrechid Municipal Stadium, bouncing back from their recent defeat to Ghana.
The decisive moment came in the 42nd minute when Grâce Ruth Sery capitalised on a scoring opportunity, firing home the only goal of the match to hand the Elephants a morale-boosting victory.
Mali responded strongly after the break, applying sustained pressure in search of an equaliser, but Côte d'Ivoire defended resolutely to preserve their slender advantage until the final whistle.
