Ghana‘s Black Stars shone bright, outplaying Madagascar 3-0 in a top-of-the-table African 2026 World Cup qualifying group match on Monday. The convincing win was fueled by Thomas Partey’s brace and Mohammed Kudus’ solo strike, with captain Jordan Ayew creating all three goals.
Partey, the Arsenal midfielder, scored both his goals with his head. He finished an Ayew free-kick on 11 minutes and a corner taken by the Leicester City veteran on 53 minutes. West Ham United star Kudus completed the scoring on 58 minutes, racing onto an Ayew pass and firing past Luxembourg-based goalkeeper Geordan Dupire.
Ghana’s dominant performance saw them build a five-point lead over second-placed Madagascar in Group I. The Black Stars have 15 points, Madagascar 10, Mali and the Comoros nine each, the Central African Republic five, and Chad none.
The final matchday six fixture in the section is scheduled for Tuesday, with the Comorans hosting the Chadians. A victory for the Comoros would close the gap behind Ghana to three points.
Ghana’s victory over Madagascar was a significant statement of intent, as they seek a fifth World Cup appearance. The Black Stars have now won five of their six World Cup qualifiers, redeeming themselves after a disastrous 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
In other matches, Ivory Coast labored to a 1-0 win over The Gambia in Abidjan. Sebastien Haller scored the winning goal after 15 minutes, thanks to an assist from Brighton winger Simon Adingra. Ivory Coast tops Group F with 16 points.
Tunisia grabbed a late 2-0 win over 10-man Malawi in Rades, thanks to a header from Seifeddine Jaziri on 86 minutes and an added-time penalty converted by Elias Achouri.
In Group H, second-placed Namibia drew 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea in Polokwane. Peter Shalulile put the Namibians ahead on 51 minutes, and Saul Coco leveled soon after.
Burkina Faso won 2-1 in Guinea-Bissau, with Shakhtar Donetsk forward Lassina Traore scoring twice. The win moved Burkina Faso within two points of Group A leaders Egypt, who host Sierra Leone on Tuesday.
Ethiopia ran riot against Djibouti, winning 6-1 with Bereket Desta and Abubeker Nassir scoring hat-tricks in El Jadida.