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WAFCON: Ghana 🇬🇭 vs Cape Verde 🇨🇻 will the game go to penalties? prediction Kenya

Ghana 🇬🇭 face Cape Verde 🇨🇻 in their opening WAFCON 2026 Group D match on Wednesday, July 29, at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca. The question on traders' minds is whether this fixture will go all the way to a penalty shootout.

Understanding the Market

This market is asking whether the match will be decided by a penalty shootout after extra time. YES wins if the game remains level after 120 minutes and proceeds to penalties. NO wins if the match is decided during the 90 minutes of regulation time or during the 30 minutes of extra time.

Here's the key point: this is a Group D match in the group stage of WAFCON 2026. Group stage matches at major tournaments do not go to extra time or penalties. If the score is level after 90 minutes plus stoppage time, the match ends as a draw and both teams receive one point.

Ghana's WAFCON 2024 Penalty Record

Ghana showed mixed fortunes from the penalty spot at the last WAFCON. The Black Queens secured their place in the semi-finals of the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations after a nail-biting 4-2 penalty shootout victory against Algeria, with goalkeeper Cynthia Konlan saving two crucial penalties.

However, their luck ran out in the semi-final. Ghana lost 4-2 on penalties to Morocco in the semifinal on Monday, July 22, 2024, with Evelyn Badu and Comfort Yeboah missing their spot kicks.

They bounced back in the third-place playoff. Ghana held their nerve in a dramatic penalty shootout to defeat South Africa and secure the bronze medal, triumphing 4-3 in the shootout after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

Cape Verde's WAFCON Debut

Cape Verde are set to make history at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations, with the island nation preparing for its first-ever appearance at the continental tournament after securing qualification for the first time.

By defeating Mali over two legs (4, 3 on aggregate), the Cape Verdean women have booked their first-ever ticket to the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

As tournament debutants competing in Group D alongside Ghana, Cameroon, and Mali, the Blue Sharks will be looking to prove they belong at this level, though they lack the WAFCON experience of their opponents.

The Group Stage Reality

Kim Lars Björkegren's side will begin their Group C campaign against Cape Verde on Wednesday, July 29, at the Moulay Rachid Stadium in Casablanca (note: this appears to be Group D based on other sources). Ghana, under Kim Bjorkegren, return fresh from their third-placed finish last July.

Group stage matches in WAFCON, like in most major international tournaments, cannot go to penalties. The format allows for draws, with teams earning one point each. Extra time and penalty shootouts are only used in knockout stage matches where a winner must be determined.

The top two teams in each group go into the quarter-finals, which is where extra time and penalties become possible.

Head-to-Head History

The historical record between these sides is limited in women's football, though Ghana won 3 games between the teams (Total Goals 7), with Cape Verde not recording a win in their meetings based on available data. However, this refers to men's fixtures, and women's football head-to-head data between these nations is scarce.

Our Assessment

Given that this is a group stage match at WAFCON 2026, the format does not allow for extra time or penalty shootouts. Group stage matches end after 90 minutes plus stoppage time. If the score is level, the match ends as a draw.

The NO outcome should win this market, as the match cannot proceed to penalties under the tournament rules for group stage fixtures. A penalty shootout would only be possible if this were a knockout stage match.

Ghana will be looking for a strong start against the tournament debutants, while Cape Verde aim to make their historic first WAFCON appearance count. But whatever the result, it will be decided within the 90 minutes of regulation time.

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