Kudus Strike Seals Ghana’s World Cup Spot as Fans Erupt in Accra

Ghana booked their ticket to next year’s World Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Comoros on Sunday, sending an ecstatic Accra Sports Stadium into scenes of wild celebration. Mohammed Kudus proved the hero, tucking away a close-range effort early in the second half to secure the Black Stars’ qualification.

The decisive moment came in the 47th minute when Kudus tapped in a precise square pass from captain Thomas Partey, breaking the deadlock and easing the tension that had gripped the packed home crowd. The result was enough to confirm Ghana’s place at the finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States — their fifth appearance on football’s biggest stage.

Even if Ghana had stumbled, their qualification was assured after Madagascar, their closest challenger, fell 4-1 to Mali in Bamako. Mali’s Lassine Sinayoko struck twice, while Dorgeles Nene and Gaoussou Diarra added the others to crush Madagascar’s slim hopes. That result rendered Ghana’s win a formality but didn’t stop the celebrations from sweeping through the capital.

The Black Stars ended their Group I campaign with 25 points, six ahead of Madagascar, who finished second on 19. Mali followed closely with 18 points. In the group’s other encounter, the Central African Republic snatched a dramatic 3-2 away win over Chad, courtesy of a stoppage-time goal from substitute Karl Namnganda. The result left Chad bottom of the group with just one point from ten matches, while the Central African Republic concluded with eight.

Elsewhere, Egypt — already qualified before the final round — maintained their unbeaten record in Group A with a 1-0 win over Guinea Bissau in Cairo. Mohamed Hamdi’s 10th-minute header sealed the victory, as coach Rui Vitória opted to rest star forward Mohamed Salah. Egypt topped the group on 26 points after winning eight of their ten games.

Burkina Faso finished second in Group A after a convincing 3-1 triumph over Ethiopia in Ouagadougou, highlighted by a hat-trick from Scotland-based striker Pierre Kabore. The Stallions now hope to advance as one of the four best runners-up who will compete in next month’s playoff series.

Meanwhile, Djibouti briefly looked poised for their first win when they led Sierra Leone but ultimately fell 2-1. In Group E, Niger continued their impressive run, defeating Zambia 1-0 away, with Daniel Sosah scoring for the third straight qualifier. The result secured Niger second place and a likely playoff berth, capping a dramatic weekend of African qualifying action.