Ghana has qualified for this year’s Africa Women’s Championship without kicking a ball after their Congolese opponents failed to show up.

The Black Queens have thus gained a walkover their Congolese counterparts following the Central African side’s inability to turn up for Sunday’s game at the Len Clay stadium in Obuasi.

The failure means Ghana would not play in the return leg slated for the weekend of 4, 5 and 6 August in Brazzaville.

The Black Queens lined up for kick off according to match formalities but their Congolese opponents put up a no show at the Obuasi Len Clay Stadium.

Match referee, Dia Fatouma from Senegal called off the game adjudging Ghana as winners.

Africa soccer governing body, CAF are expected to make a formal statement on the match.

The were growing concerns over the whereabouts of their opponents from Congo after the Congolese team who were expected in Ghana midweek failed to show up.

The Congolese claim a botched travelling plan is the cause of their expected late arrival in Ghana.

The Black Queens were expected to begin their journey to this year’s Africa Women’s Championship (AWC) with a qualifying match against Congo.

Whoever wins the two-leg qualifier join seven other countries to compete for the fifth AWC in Nigeria in September.

The Black Queens have an impressive pedigree, having won silver (1998 and 2002) and bronze (2000 and 2004) in the four previous tournaments, while the Congolese are yet to make any appearance at that stage.

Ghana have thus qualified alongside Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea for the 5th African Women Championship.

The Ghana-Congo was not the only match scheduled for this weekend.

Defending champions, Nigeria and host of this year’s competition, have had their game against Equatorial Guinea called off.

According to CAF, Nigeria is automatically qualified to the final tournament of the 5th African Women Championship as host country.

Consequently the above mentioned matches are cancelled and the women national team of Equatorial Guinea is also qualified for the final tournament.

But across the continent, other qualifying matches were played.

In Algiers, the all-North African affair saw Algeria beating Egypt 1-0, while Mali beat Benin 3-1 in an all-West African contest.

South Africa won 3-0 over Tanzania, with 2004 runners-up, Cameroon hitting four goals past Kenya in the first leg.

The Democratic Republic of Congo who have been to all previous competitions won 3-0 over Senegal.