Ghana’s Black Queens are set to learn the identity of their opponents in the preliminary stage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 Play Off Tournament when the official draw takes place in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
The draw is scheduled to be conducted at the Home of FIFA at 2:00 pm local time and will determine the composition of the preliminary phase involving six nations that have secured places in the play off competition.
Ghana will participate alongside South Africa, Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan, Ecuador and Papua New Guinea as the six competing nations pursue an opportunity to secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
For the purposes of the draw, the six countries have been arranged into three separate pots according to their positions in the FIFA Coca Cola Women’s World Ranking published on June 16, 2026. Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan have been placed in Pot 1, while South Africa and Papua New Guinea occupy Pot 2. Ghana and Ecuador have been assigned to Pot 3.
The draw will also be governed by a confederation restriction, meaning teams belonging to the same continental football governing body cannot be paired against one another during the preliminary phase.
The preliminary stage of the play off tournament is scheduled to take place during the international window running from November 24 to December 5, 2026. Each participating nation will play three matches as the teams compete for the opportunity to progress to the decisive stage of the qualification process.
At the conclusion of the preliminary phase, the two highest ranked teams will advance to the final stage of the tournament. They will then join four nations that have already secured direct qualification for that phase.
The final phase will subsequently determine the three remaining countries that will complete the list of participants for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
For the Black Queens, the play off tournament represents another significant opportunity to secure a place on the global stage and continue Ghana’s pursuit of qualification for the expanded women’s football competition.
The final tournament in Brazil is scheduled to take place from June 24 to July 25, 2027, bringing together the world’s leading women’s national teams in what will be another major international showcase for the women’s game.
Ghana will therefore await Thursday’s draw with keen interest as the Black Queens prepare to identify the opponents standing between them and a potential place at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
