2028 Olympic Games Qualifiers: Black Queens drawn against Zambia; Full list of 16 third-round teams

Ghana’s Black Queens have been drawn against Zambia in the third round of the African qualifiers for the women’s football tournament at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The third-round matches are scheduled to take place from February 23 to March 6, 2027, with 16 nations remaining in contention for Africa’s two places at the Olympic Games.

The qualified teams progressed from the second round, which was played between October 7 and 13, 2026, as the race for Olympic qualification intensified across the continent.

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Ghana advanced after recording a 7-0 victory over Mauritius, completing a commanding performance in the second round. The Black Queens will now face Zambia in a two-legged tie, with the winner advancing to the fourth round.

Several other countries also secured convincing victories to progress. Kenya recorded the biggest win of the round with an 11-0 triumph over Seychelles, while Malawi defeated Zimbabwe 7-0. Algeria also beat the Central African Republic 7-0, and Tanzania secured a 6-0 victory over Botswana.

Nigeria progressed after beating Comoros 5-0, while Mali defeated Benin 6-2. Zambia overcame Uganda 4-1, and Côte d’Ivoire recorded a 3-0 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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South Africa advanced with a 3-0 victory against Madagascar, Senegal beat Tunisia 2-0, and Angola defeated Namibia 2-0.

Ethiopia and Burkina Faso also progressed following 1-1 draws against Rwanda and Equatorial Guinea, respectively. Morocco and Cameroon advanced after Congo and Guinea withdrew from the competition.

Ghana will need to overcome Zambia across the two legs to keep their hopes of reaching the 2028 Olympic Games alive.

With only two African places available at the Los Angeles Games, every round will be crucial for the Black Queens and the other competing nations.

The eight teams that win their third-round ties will progress to the fourth round, bringing them closer to securing one of Africa’s Olympic tickets.

For Ghana, the tie against Zambia represents another important step in their bid to return to the Olympic women’s football tournament.