Kudus Goal Propels Ghana to World Cup Qualification with 1-0 Victory Over Comoros

Ghana has clinched a coveted spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a narrow 1-0 win against Comoros. The victory, which took place on Sunday, marks Ghana as the fifth African nation to secure qualification, joining Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia in the prestigious tournament.

The pivotal moment occurred in the 47th minute when star midfielder Mohammed Kudus expertly converted a pass from Thomas Partey, sending the enthusiastic home crowd of 40,000 in Accra into jubilation.

Even if Ghana had lost, they would still have qualified, as their closest competitor, Madagascar, faced a heavy 4-1 defeat in their match held in Bamako.

The outcome sees Otto Addo’s squad concluding Group I at the top spot with an impressive 25 points earned across ten matches, with a significant lead of six points over Madagascar. This achievement makes them the first sub-Saharan African team to officially confirm their place in the upcoming tournament.

Madagascar concluded their campaign in second position. Achieving victory in their concluding match would have potentially boosted their prospects of securing a spot as one of the top four runners-up, granting them entry into a playoff for a chance at World Cup contention.

In other matches, Burkina Faso concluded their campaign triumphantly with a 3-1 victory over Ethiopia, highlighted by a remarkable second-half hat-trick from substitute Pierre Landry Kabore.

Egypt, having already qualified, sustained their winning momentum with a 1-0 victory against Guinea-Bissau. Simultaneously, Niger secured a 1-0 triumph over Zambia, thus claiming the second position in Group E.

With these outcomes, Ghana will now join Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia as the confirmed African representatives at the FIFA World Cup 2026, scheduled to be co-hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Next month, Morocco is set to be the host nation for Africa’s four-team playoffs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The competition will involve four teams engaging in a mini-tournament, encompassing both semi-finals and a final held in Morocco. The ultimate victor will then progress to participate in an inter-continental playoff in March, vying for a coveted spot in the expanded 48-team lineup at the 2026 World Cup.