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Mohammed Kudus proved the difference once again as Ghana edged Comoros 1-0 in Accra on Sunday to book their spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The victory saw the Black Stars of Ghana finish top of Group I, joining Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia as Africa’s confirmed representatives.
The Tottenham midfielder struck just two minutes after the restart, tapping in from close range after a goalmouth scramble left Comoros’ defence in disarray.
A low cross found Kudus unmarked inside the six-yard box, and he made no mistake, sparking jubilant celebrations inside a packed 40,000-capacity Accra Sports Stadium.
Ghana had dominated the first half, controlling possession and pushing forward with intent, but their attacks were often slow and predictable, allowing Comoros goalkeeper Adel Anzimati-Aboudou to deal comfortably with whatever came his way. The breakthrough after halftime was the reward the home side had been pushing for.
The win carried extra emotion for the Black Stars, who were stunned by Comoros at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations and suffered another defeat to the islanders during the second round of World Cup qualifying two years ago. This time, they were determined not to repeat the same mistake.
Ghana finished the campaign with 25 points from 10 matches. Madagascar placed second on 19 points despite a 4-1 defeat to Mali, who ended in third.
The Black Stars will now prepare for their fifth World Cup appearance, with their best showing coming in 2010 when they reached the quarter-finals before losing to Uruguay in a penalty shootout.
The qualification also eased the pressure on head coach Otto Addo, whose position had been under intense scrutiny following a disastrous 2025 AFCON qualifying campaign. Ghana failed to win any of their six matches in that competition, finishing bottom of their group behind Angola, Sudan, and Niger.
Sunday’s victory provided a strong response to critics and justified the Ghana Football Association’s decision to retain Addo despite widespread calls for his dismissal.
The 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will feature 48 teams for the first time.
Elsewhere in the qualifiers, Egypt rested Liverpool star Mohamed Salah but still managed a 1-0 win over Guinea-Bissau in Cairo, with Mohamed Hamdy scoring the decisive goal early in the first half.
In Ndola, Niger stunned Zambia 1-0 to finish second in Group E behind Morocco. Daniel Sosah scored on 56 minutes after Zambian goalkeeper Lawrence Mulenga spilt Victorien Adebayor’s shot, allowing Sosah to pounce on the rebound. The win pushed Niger to third place in the runners-up ranking, trailing Gabon and Burkina Faso.
The top four runners-up across all groups will enter a mini play-off in Morocco this November, with the winner advancing to an intercontinental play-off in March where two final World Cup slots will be up for grabs.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Super Eagles safely returned home to Uyo on Sunday after a tense journey from South Africa, where they defeated Lesotho in Group C.
Naija News reports that the ValueJet flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Angola due to a cracked windscreen before a replacement aircraft completed the trip.
Team media officer Promise Efoghe confirmed the players and officials arrived safely and have since resumed preparations for Tuesday’s decisive encounter against the Benin Republic.
Nigeria currently sit third in Group C with one game to play, trailing leaders Benin by three points and South Africa by one. A win against Benin in Uyo could send the Super Eagles to the top if South Africa fails to defeat Rwanda at home.
In another development, South Sudan coach Nicolas Dupuis has been handed a 15-day suspension after his team’s 5-0 loss to Senegal in Group B.
The Frenchman, best known for guiding Madagascar to a surprise quarter-final finish at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, has been instructed to step aside pending a review of the team’s performance.
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