The Ghanaian Black Stars defeated Comoros 1-0 in the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday night, securing their spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
With a goal by Mohammed Kudus, Ghana topped Group I and qualified for the 2026 World Cup as the fifth African nation, behind Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.
The Black Stars dominated first half possession and territory, supported by the packed crowd, but Comoros goalie Adel Anzimati-Aboudou was rarely threatened by plodding, predictable attacks.
However, Tottenham midfielder Kudus gave the home team the lead on 47 minutes, so they didn’t waste much time after the break.
Kudus put the ball into the net from point-blank range after Comoros only half cleared a goalmouth scramble. The ball was crossed low into the six-yard box.
Since the Indian Ocean islanders stunned Ghana in the second round of World Cup qualifying two years ago at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), victory over Comoros was especially sweet.
Ghana leads the group after ten games, with 25 points. Madagascar lost 4-1 against third-place Mali in Bamako, although they still ended second with 19 points.
The Black Stars will be participating in the world showcase for the fifth time. Ghana’s finest showing occurred in South Africa in 2010, when the Black Stars were defeated by Uruguay in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals.
Ghanaian officials’ confidence in coach Otto Addo, who faced criticism last year, was validated by qualification for the larger 48-nation 2026 event, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Following a terrible 2025 AFCON qualifying campaign, the public and media repeatedly demanded that Otto Addo be fired.
Ghana, who won the competition four times between 1963 and 1982, finished in a dismal last place with just three points, behind Angola, Sudan, and Niger. They failed to win any of the six AFCON qualifiers.
Benin, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, and Senegal are the group leaders and will select the other four automatic African qualifiers for the World Cup on Monday and Tuesday.
