GHANA became the fifth African nation to qualify for the 2026 Fifa World Cup when Mohammed Kudus’ second-half goal was enough to see off recent nemesis Comoros in their final qualifier.
Victory in Accra took the home side to 25 points from their 10 Group I games, six clear of a Madagascar side who needed to win in Mali to have any chance of finishing top only to lose 4-1 in Bamako.
Tottenham forward Kudus grabbed the glory as the Black Stars became the first nation on the continent outside of North Africa to qualify for next year’s finals – with Algeria, Egypt, 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco and Tunisia already through.
After a tepid first-half display, when the home side failed to force the Comoros goalkeeper into a save despite 22 goals in their previous nine qualifiers, the Black Stars broke through moments after the break as Kudus tapped home Thomas Partey’s cross from close range for his second goal of the campaign.
Qualification for Otto Addo’s side will begin to atone for the failure to reach this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, where the lesser-ranked Comorans will open the tournament when meeting host nation, and favourites, Morocco on 21 December.
Needing a point to be sure of going through, Ghana’s qualification was all but secured before kick-off given they could only fail by losing at home to Comoros and Madagascar not just winning in Mali but also overturning a far inferior goal difference (-8).
Yet a Ghana win over Comoros was by no means guaranteed, having stunned the Black Stars in their last two meetings.
The Indian Ocean islanders famously knocked the four-time continental champions out of the Nations Cup in 2022, before beating them 1-0 on home soil early in the Group I campaign.
The visitors had the best chance of the opening period, when Benjaloud Youssouf headed wide with the goal gaping, but that was as close as they came as Ghana reached their fifth World Cup out of the past six.
Despite fielding Bournemouth livewire Antoine Semenyo, whose six goals from seven Premier League games this season is in stark contrast to his three from 31 Ghana caps, and Leicester City’s Jordan Ayew, who has seven goals in qualifying, the Black Stars failed to shine in attack.
Nonetheless, the tensions in a packed Accra Sports Stadium were considerably eased by Mali finishing off Madagascar in style, with goals from Lassine Sinayoko (2), Nene Dorgeles and Gaoussou Diarra.
Madagascar’s defeat means their hopes of being among the best four runners-up from the nine African groups are over.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Mohamed Salah’s Egypt – who had already reached next year’s finals ensured they went unbeaten in Group A by beating Guinea-Bissau 1-0 in Cairo, thanks to an early goal from left-back Mohamed Hamdy.
Qualification had been secured when coasting to a 3-0 win away to Djibouti on Wednesday, with Burkina Faso – who beat Ethiopia 2-1 at home thanks to a double from Pierre Landy Kabore – hoping they have done enough to wrap up one of the runners-up spots.