Mohammed Kudus’ 47th‑minute finish secured a 1‑0 victory for Ghana over Comoros in Accra on Sunday, booking the Black Stars a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
This marks Ghana’s fifth appearance at the grand stage.
In front of a packed house of 40,000 supporters, Ghana controlled possession during the first half.
But it took only minutes after the restart for magic to happen: Comoros could only partially clear a cross, and Kudus was first to react, tapping home from close range.
This win carried extra weight—Comoros had stunned Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations and even in earlier World Cup qualifying rounds. Redemption, then, tasted sweet.
With 25 points from 10 matches, Ghana finished top of Group I. Madagascar came in second with 19 points, even after losing 4‑1 to Mali.
This qualification is vindication for officials who stuck by coach Otto Addo.
Despite calls for his head after a tough AFCON qualifying campaign, he has now delivered a historic result.
Meanwhile, other African groups remain undecided. Benin, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, and Senegal lead their respective pools, with the four best second‑place teams entering a playoff in November in Morocco, hoping to snatch the remaining spots.
Elsewhere, Egypt beat Guinea‑Bissau 1‑0 in Cairo without Mohamed Salah, thanks to an early strike by Mohamed Hamdy.
Niger upset Zambia 1‑0 to finish as runners-up in Group E. They now sit behind Gabon and Burkina Faso in the runner‑ups’ table.
In a twist of drama, the Super Eagles’ plane returning from their win over Lesotho made an emergency landing in Angola due to a cracked windscreen.
All safely transferred onward, the team is now in Uyo preparing for a crucial match at home.
Nigeria sits third in Group C, trailing Benin and South Africa, but still has a shot at finishing first, if results fall in their favor.
Meanwhile, South Sudan’s coach Nicolas Dupuis was reportedly suspended for 15 days after a 5‑0 home defeat to Senegal.
