Despite their inspiring march to the quarterfinals of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), none of Ghana’s Black Queens players were named in CAF’s Best XI after the group stage.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) unveiled its standout performers from the first phase of the competition ahead of the knockout rounds, but the Ghanaian squad was notably absent.

The Black Queens booked their spot in the last eight for the first time since 2016, finishing second in Group C. They capped off their group stage campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory over Tanzania. However, even with Player of the Match awards for Jennifer Cudjoe and Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah along the way, Ghana failed to land any representation in CAF’s elite list.

The Best XI was dominated by powerhouses South Africa and Zambia, who contributed three players each. Zambia’s Barbra Banda, Rachel Kundananji, and Lushomo Mweemba made the cut, alongside South Africa’s Jane Refiloe, Fikile Magama, and Bambanani Mbane. Nigeria also had two players featured in the selection.

Ghana will now shift focus to their quarterfinal showdown against Algeria, scheduled for Saturday, July 19 at 16:00 GMT. A win will set up a semifinal clash with either Morocco or Mali—teams the Black Queens are already familiar with, having drawn 1-1 with Mali during the group stage.