Ghana beats Cape Verde 2-0 in WAFCON debut

Ghana secured a 2-0 victory over debutants Cape Verde in their opening match of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) held in Morocco. The win places Ghana in a strong position in Group D.

Cape Verde, ranked significantly lower than Ghana in the world standings, entered the match hoping to replicate the surprising success of fellow debutants Malawi, who had stunned defending champions Nigeria 3-2 just a day earlier. Cape Verde, representing a small island nation with a population of just over 500,000, aimed to make a similar impact on the international football stage.

Ghana took an early lead in the seventh minute when striker Doris Boaduwaa capitalized on a long pass from Portia Boakye, lobbing the ball over Cape Verde's goalkeeper Jacinta Rodrigues. Boaduwaa, a 23-year-old forward playing for Hapoel Jerusalem, had opportunities to extend Ghana's lead before halftime.

The islanders' deficit doubled in the 54th minute when Eleia Vieira inadvertently scored an own goal after a cross deflected off her and beat Rodrigues. Despite Rodrigues's agile efforts throughout the match, she could not prevent the second goal. Cape Verde's best chance to score came from an ambitious shot by Ivania Moreira from the center circle, which was saved by Ghana's goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan.

In the closing moments of the match, Cape Verde was reduced to ten players. Kleydiana Borges received a straight red card after a VAR review for a foul on Linda Ansah during added time.