The Sierra Queens of Sierra Leone suffered a 2-1 defeat to Benin at the Kégué Stadium on Thursday in the first leg of the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations 2026 qualifiers.
Benin’s captain Aude Gbedjissi scored a brace, with her first goal coming in the 23rd minute after receiving a solid pass from the left. She skilfully manoeuvred past the Sierra Leone goalkeeper to open the scoring.
Benin started brightly and could have scored more in the first 15 minutes, but they missed a couple of chances.
The Sierra Queens equalized in the 35th minute when Kadiatu Kamara capitalized on a corner play, striking the ball long over the Benin goalkeeper.
However, the home side quickly responded and regained their one-goal lead after being awarded a penalty in the 44th minute. The Benin captain converted the penalty for her second goal, ending the first half with a 2-1 advantage for her team.
After the recess, both teams struggled to take control of the tie with scrappy football, as there were no goals in the second forty minutes.
Sierra Queens will host their counterparts on Monday at the Liberian Capital for a place in the second round. The overall winner between Benin and Sierra Leone in this first round of matches will advance to face Nigeria’s Super Falcons in the second round.
The final phase of the competition is divided into three groups, each consisting of four teams. The top two teams from each group will directly qualify for the quarter-finals, along with the two best third-placed teams.
From this stage onward, the competition follows a knockout format leading up to the final, where the winner will be crowned.
The 2026 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations is the 16th edition of this tournament, bringing together the best women’s football teams in Africa.
Second Round
● M33 & M34: Angola – Zimbabwe vs. Malawi
● M35 & M36: Botswana – DR Congo vs. South Africa
● M37 & M38: Tanzania – Equatorial Guinea vs. Uganda – Ethiopia
● M39 & M40: Eswatini – Namibia vs. Zambia
● M41 & M42: Burundi – Burkina Faso vs. Djibouti – Togo
● M43 & M44: South Sudan – Algeria vs. Cameroon
● M45 & M46: Rwanda – Egypt vs. Ghana
● M47 & M48: Kenya – Tunisia vs. Niger – Gambia
● M49 & M50: Benin – Sierra Leone vs. Nigeria
● M51 & M52: Guinea – Cape Verde vs. Gabon – Mali
● M53 & M54: Chad – Senegal vs. Ivory Coast
