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Rabat, the Moroccan capital, is set to host the preliminary phase of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off Tournament from November 24 to December 5, as six national teams battle for places in the final qualification stage for next year’s global competition.
Ghana’s Black Queens will be among the teams competing in the tournament, alongside Ecuador, Uzbekistan, Papua New Guinea, South Africa and Chinese Taipei, following the draw conducted by FIFA in Zurich.
The competition offers the participating nations an opportunity to remain in contention for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, with the top two teams from the preliminary phase advancing to the final stage of the play-offs. Blueprint reports
However, FIFA’s published announcement confirmed the November 24 to December 5 window but stated that the venues, individual match dates and kick-off times would be announced later. Rabat’s selection as host could not be independently confirmed from the available FIFA information.
Ghana face Ecuador in opening fixture
Ghana will begin its campaign against Ecuador, while Uzbekistan will take on Papua New Guinea and Chinese Taipei will face South Africa on the opening matchday.
The three fixtures form part of a nine-match preliminary phase in which each of the six countries will play three games.
The teams were drawn into three groups of two for seeding purposes, with Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan in Pot 1, South Africa and Papua New Guinea in Pot 2, and Ghana and Ecuador in Pot 3.
The draw was conducted to ensure that teams from the same confederation would not face one another during the preliminary phase.
Ghana’s opening encounter against Ecuador will therefore be an important test for the Black Queens as they seek to progress to the final stage of the qualification process.
Black Queens seek World Cup return
Ghana’s participation comes after a disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where the Black Queens were eliminated in the quarter-finals following a 2-1 defeat to Malawi.
The result ended their hopes of securing one of Africa’s automatic qualification places through the continental tournament, but their World Cup ambitions remain alive through the play-off route.
The Black Queens must first navigate the intercontinental qualification process to secure a place in Brazil, where the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be staged from June 24 to July 25.
Ghana will face strong competition from teams representing different confederations, making consistency across the preliminary phase essential to its chances of progressing.
South Africa, another African representative, will also be seeking to advance after missing out on direct qualification, while the Asian representatives, Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan, will hope to make the most of their opportunities.
Ecuador will represent South America, while Papua New Guinea will compete as the Oceania representative.
How the play-off tournament will determine qualification
The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 Play-Off Tournament is designed to determine the final three countries that will join the qualified teams at the expanded 32-nation competition in Brazil.
The process will be conducted in two phases. The preliminary phase, scheduled for November and December 2026, will feature six teams from five confederations.
The two best-performing teams will advance to the final phase in February and March 2027, joining four nations that have received direct entry into that stage.
Those four teams will comprise two representatives from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf), one from South America’s CONMEBOL and one from Europe’s UEFA.
The six teams in the final phase will be drawn into three separate qualification paths, with each path decided by a single-match tie. The three winners will claim the remaining places at the World Cup.
Consequently, progressing from the preliminary phase will not guarantee qualification for Ghana or any of the other participating nations. It will, however, bring them one step closer to securing a place at the global tournament.
Brazil prepares for historic Women’s World Cup
The 2027 edition will be the 10th FIFA Women’s World Cup and the first to be hosted in South America.
Brazil will welcome 32 national teams from June 24 to July 25, 2027, across eight host cities: Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and São Paulo.
The tournament will provide another opportunity to showcase the continued growth of women’s football, with participating countries seeking to challenge established powers and expand their presence on the global stage.
For Ghana, the immediate objective is to negotiate the preliminary play-offs successfully and remain in the race for a return to the competition.
With the draw now completed, attention will turn to preparations, squad selection and performances during the November-December window as the six countries pursue the final stages of qualification.
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