Ghana booked their place at the FIFA 2026 World Cup following a narrow 1-0 victory over Comoros, while Mali dimed Madagascar’s playoff hopes with an emphatic win on Sunday’s Matchday 10 of the African qualifiers.
The results marked another dramatic day of action across the continent, with Ghana becoming the fifth African nation to secure a ticket to the global finals. Elsewhere, Egypt and Burkina Faso wrapped up their campaigns with strong performances.
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At the Accra Sports Stadium, Mohammed Kudus proved to be Ghana’s hero once again, netting early in the second half to seal the Black Stars’ fifth World Cup qualification after appearances in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2022.
In Bamako, the Mali Eagles delivered a statement performance with a 4–1 demolition of Madagascar, effectively knocking the Barea out of the playoff race. Lassine Sinayoko scored twice, while Dorgeles Nene and Gaoussou Diarra completed the rout.
Over in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso boosted their playoff chances with a 3–1 win over Ethiopia. Substitute Pierre Kabore was the star of the match, coming off the bench to score a stunning second-half hat-trick for the Stallions.
Group leaders Egypt maintained their unbeaten run, edging Guinea-Bissau 1–0 in Cairo courtesy of an early strike from Mohamed Hamdi, ensuring the Pharaohs topped their group comfortably.
Elsewhere, Sierra Leone staged a comeback to defeat Djibouti 2–1 in Casablanca, thanks to goals from Juma Bah and Sallieu Tarawallie, while Niger recorded a shock 1–0 away win over Zambia with Daniel Sosah scoring the decisive goal.
In N’Djamena, the Central African Republic snatched a dramatic 3–2 win over Chad, sealed by a late winner from Karl Namnganda.
Matchday 10 action continues on Monday, October 13, with key fixtures including Tunisia vs Namibia, Cameroon vs Angola, and Cape Verde vs Eswatini.
Sunday, October 12 – Results
Zambia 0–1 Niger
Chad 2–3 Central African Republic
Djibouti 1–2 Sierra Leone
Mali 4–1 Madagascar
Ghana 1–0 Comoros
Egypt 1–0 Guinea-Bissau
Burkina Faso 3–1 Ethiopia
