By Simon Asare
Accra, March 24, GNA – Ghana’s national team, the Black Stars, won against Madagascar with a score of 3-0 in their 2026 World Cup qualifying match held at the Al Hoceima Grand Stadium in Morocco.
Thomas Partey netted two goals and Mohammed Kudus contributed one as the Black Stars secured a dominant win over Madagascar.
In Group I, Ghana tops the standings with 15 points, followed closely by Madagascar with 10 points. Mali and Comoros share the third position with nine points apiece.
The Central African Republic ranks fifth with five points, whereas Chad sits at the bottom of the group without any points.
The Ghana coach, Otto Addo, introduced some alterations by beginning with Jerome Opoku and Abu Francis in the lineup while leaving out Ernest Nuamah and Inaki Williams as substitutes.
The Black Stars began the match strongly, putting pressure on Madagascar’s defense, with Salisu Mohammed nearly scoring in the fifth minute.
In the 11th minute, Partey gave the BlackStars the lead with a strong header off Jordan Ayew’s exquisite cross at the edge of the penalty area.
The Ghanaian team’s defensive setup was remarkably solid during the initial thirty minutes, effectively curbing their adversaries’ offensive efforts.
Goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, appearing for the second time with the Black Stars, enjoyed a relatively calm first half as Madagascar struggled to get their shots on target within the penalty area.
Ghana maintained their single-goal advantage of 1-0 as the match reached halftime.
Ghana’s Black Stars began the second half strongly and added a buffer with a goal from Thomas Partey, who directed his header into the net following a fine delivery from Jordan Ayew.
In the 59th minute, Kudus Mohamed extended the Black Stars’ lead with his third goal, assisted by Jordan Ayew.
Ghana’s captain Ayew pulled off an assist hat-trick in a magnificent performance, leading his team to an easy win.
Madagascar tried hard to cut down the deficit, yet Ghana remained firm in their defense and managed to keep a shutout throughout the full 90 minutes.
Ghana will proceed with their bid for qualification during the upcoming rounds in September, featuring matches against Chad and Mali.
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