Ghana will look to seal direct qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup when they face the Central African Republic (CAR) on Wednesday at the Stade d’Honneur de Meknès in Morocco.
The Black Stars sit top of Group I with 19 points, three ahead of second-placed Madagascar, and know that victory could all but confirm their fifth appearance on the global stage.
Their qualification fate could also be influenced by the Comoros–Madagascar clash happening simultaneously, with any slip-up from Madagascar potentially securing Ghana’s place automatically.
Otto Addo’s side have enjoyed a strong qualifying campaign, winning six of their eight matches. Their only setbacks came in a 1-0 defeat to Comoros and a 1-1 draw with Chad during September’s double-header. They bounced back with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Mali in Accra, extending their goal tally to 17 – the highest in the group – while conceding only six.
The year 2024 has been largely positive for Ghana, who have registered four wins, one draw, and one loss in six outings. The team’s confidence remains high heading into Wednesday’s fixture, with expectations of collecting maximum points against a struggling CAR side.
Les Fauves have already been eliminated from the qualification race and will be playing for pride. However, they’ll draw motivation from their spirited showing in the reverse fixture, a thrilling 4-3 defeat to Ghana in Kumasi earlier in the campaign.
READ: Black Stars arrive in Meknes for World Cup qualifier against Central African Republic
Recent form, for the Central Africans have lost five of their last six matches across all competitions and failed to score in their previous five outings. Their only win in the qualifiers came in a 1-0 success over Chad in June 2024, one of just two clean sheets they have managed. In total, CAR have conceded 17 goals, the second-most in Group I, while scoring only eight.
For Ghana, captain Jordan Ayew leads by example with six goals in the qualifiers. He’ll be supported by a blend of experience and youthful energy from Thomas Partey, Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Alexander Djiku, Gideon Mensah, and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku all determined to make a statement after missing out on qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Christian Kobby Quarshie
