Black Stars travel away to face Central African Republic
By Jesse Otoo
The Black Stars of Ghana travel away to face the Central African Republic, in their quest to seek qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Coach Otto Addo would be looking to keep his job, and to do so, he has to qualify the Black Stars for the World Cup after missing out on the African Cup of Nations.
He has come under criticism recently and needs to deliver the necessary results to earn the support of the fans.
Ghana sits top of the table after eight matches played and also have scored the most goals. Ghana was impressive in their last two games and would seek to build upon it.
Black Stars have lost once in the qualification, and it was against Comoros, so they are really motivated going into this game.
Next year’s tournament would be historic as it is the first time three countries would host the tournament simultaneously. The players shining in their respective clubs would help the team going into this match.
Jordan Ayew is on form in the qualifiers with six goals to his credit and would look to bag in more in this encounter. It is going to be a tough encounter as this match can either secure Ghana’s qualification or hinder it.
The Central African Republic has had the worst form in this qualification. They have won one match of the eight matches played, lost 5 matches and two matches ended in a draw. There isn’t any light at the end of the tunnel for them. They go into this game to play for their pride and see if they can get a better result against the heavyweights in Africa (Ghana).
The Central African Republic has conceded twice the number of goals they’ve scored, which shows how sloppy they are defensively.
The last time these two teams met, Ghana won, but it wasn’t as easy as the Central African Republic gave the Black Stars a run for their money. The match, which was played in Accra, ended in a 4-3 scoreline, which went in favor of the hosts, Ghana.
The scenario remains promising for Ghana’s qualification prospects. If Madagascar beats Comoros, the latter will be out of contention for the top spot, and Ghana would only need a draw against the Central African Republic (CAR) to advance.
Conversely, a victory for Comoros over Madagascar would mean Ghana’s qualification is secured with a win against CAR. Even in a more challenging scenario, if Madagascar wins and Ghana also triumphs, the team’s chances of qualification are still high, considering their points and remaining fixtures.
Madagascar’s next encounter is against Mali, and it would be a tough match, and so the Black Stars’ chances of qualifying are high, and they need to be focused and also do away with any complacency.
Comoros and Madagascar lock horns on neutral grounds in Abidjan
Comoros and Madagascar will lock horns at the neutral Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Wednesday in a high-stakes penultimate clash in the race for a 2026 World Cup spot.
Only one point separates both nations, with Les Coelacantes — the nominal hosts for this encounter — sitting third on 15 points, just behind Barea, who trail leaders Ghana by three.
Whether the race for a direct ticket goes down to the wire will depend on the results from matchday nine in Group D’s fiercely competitive bracket, with Ghana hoping for a slip-up from Madagascar, though a share of the spoils in this fixture would best favour Mali, who are fourth on 12 points.
Should either scenario unfold and the Black Stars win their own game against the Central African Republic, they would seal direct qualification, while a stalemate in Abidjan would keep the Eagles’s playoff hopes alive ahead of their final-day clash, provided they beat Chad.
This makes Wednesday’s game a crucial one for both Comoros and Madagascar, as each side looks to build on victories from the previous outing, with Les Coelacantes heading into the clash on the back of a 2-0 away success over the CAR that continued a curious pattern of winning the second match of their double headers after losing the first.
While a trip to Bamako on the final day is never an easy task, Madagascar’s immediate challenge lies against a side that has proved to be a bone in the neck in recent encounters.
This is a high-stakes affair where both sides have everything to play for, and with their attacking strengths on display throughout the campaign, a tightly contested draw with goals on either side looks the most likely outcome.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Mali face already-eliminated Chad
Mali make the trip to Mandjafa to face already-eliminated Chad on Wednesday evening in the penultimate match of the 2026 World Cup qualifying series in Africa, with hopes of securing a vital win to keep their fading playoff ambitions alive.
The Eagles can no longer achieve automatic qualification as they sit seven points behind Group I leaders Ghana, though being four adrift of second-placed Madagascar offers a faint glimmer of possibility for an indirect route to the mundial.
Mali have never reached the global stage, and their hopes of a first-ever World Cup appearance suffered a setback last time out.
The Eagles entered matchday eight in second position, aiming to close the gap at the top, but a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Ghana ended hopes of a direct ticket and saw them drop down the standings.
Victories for Madagascar and Comoros in their respective fixtures compounded the woes of Tom Saintfiet’s men, who slipped to fourth, now four and three points adrift of both nations, who will also lock horns as Les Aigles face Chad.
While the Eagles no longer have full control over their destiny, the runners-up standings only make their task harder, with Mali’s 12 points (W3, D3, L2) leaving them three adrift of the lowest-ranked side among the four best runners-up.
This is a must-win encounter for Mali, who know any slip-up would end their playoff hopes, so anything short of a comfortable victory against a struggling Chad side they have beaten with ease in previous meetings would come as a major shock.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Group A
Group D
Group E
Group I
