Kudus Strike Seals Ghana’s World Cup Qualification, Nigeria Survive Mid-Air Scare
Ghana secured their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after edging Comoros 1-0 in Accra on Sunday, with Mohammed Kudus’ decisive goal ensuring the Black Stars topped Group I to become Africa’s fifth qualifiers.
Playing before a 40,000-capacity crowd at the Accra Sports Stadium, the Ghanaians dominated possession and territory in the first half but struggled to break through Comoros’ compact defence.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Kudus, however, broke the deadlock just two minutes into the second half, tapping home from close range after the visitors failed to clear a goalmouth scramble.
The result avenged Ghana’s previous losses to the Indian Ocean islanders, who stunned them at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations and again in the second round of World Cup qualifiers two years later.
With the victory, Ghana finished top of Group I with 25 points from 10 matches, while Madagascar placed second on 19 points despite losing 4–1 to third-placed Mali in Bamako.
The qualification marks Ghana’s fifth appearance at the global tournament and their first since 2022. Their best run remains the 2010 edition in South Africa, where they reached the quarter-finals before losing to Uruguay on penalties.
The achievement also vindicates the Ghana Football Association’s decision to retain head coach Otto Addo, who came under intense criticism following a poor 2025 AFCON qualifying campaign in which the four-time African champions finished bottom of their group with just three points from six matches.
Meanwhile, Egypt wrapped up their Group A campaign with a 1–0 win over Guinea-Bissau in Cairo despite resting Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah. Mohamed Hamdy’s early goal secured the victory for the Pharaohs.
In Group E, Niger stunned Zambia 1–0 in Ndola to finish second behind Morocco and climb to third in the runners-up ranking behind Gabon and Burkina Faso.
Daniel Sosah scored his third consecutive goal in the qualifiers, firing home on 56 minutes after goalkeeper Lawrence Mulenga spilled Victorien Adebayor’s effort.
The four best-ranked second-placed teams after Tuesday’s final matches will qualify for a playoff tournament in Morocco this November.
The winner of that mini-tournament will advance to an intercontinental playoff in March, where two additional World Cup slots will be contested among six nations.
In Nigeria, tension briefly gripped fans after the Super Eagles’ chartered jet made an emergency landing in Angola due to a cracked windscreen while returning from South Africa, where they defeated Lesotho in a Group C fixture on Friday.
Team media officer Promise Efoghe confirmed that a replacement aircraft was dispatched to Luanda, and the squad, coaches, and officials arrived safely in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Sunday.
Nigeria currently sit third in Group C with one match left, trailing leaders Benin by three points and South Africa by one. The Super Eagles could still finish top if they beat Benin in Uyo on Tuesday and South Africa fail to win at home to Rwanda.
Elsewhere, the South Sudan Football Association reportedly suspended French coach Nicolas Dupuis for 15 days following a 5–0 home defeat to Group B leaders Senegal.
Dupuis, who famously led Madagascar to the quarter-finals of the 2019 AFCON, has been instructed to stay away from the squad during the suspension.
As Africa’s qualifiers near their climax, the remaining four automatic tickets will be decided on Monday and Tuesday, with Benin, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, and Senegal currently leading their groups.
