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The Black Stars of Ghana have achieved their first back-to-back wins in nine months with a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Central African Republic (CAR) in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The match, held on Monday night at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, saw an outstanding performance from Jordan Ayew, who netted a hat-trick to lead his team to victory.
Jordan Ayew, who scored the winning goal in the previous match against Mali, was handed a starting role and did not disappoint. The Crystal Palace striker opened the scoring with a penalty in the sixth minute, following a foul on Fatawu Issahaku. However, the visitors responded strongly, with Louis Mafouta scoring twice in the 11th and 41st minutes to put CAR ahead at halftime.
Ghana came back determined in the second half. Ayew equalized in the 60th minute with a header from a Gideon Mensah cross. Just two minutes later, Issahaku put Ghana back in the lead with a well-placed shot. Ayew completed his hat-trick by scoring on a rebound after Mohammed Kudus’ shot was blocked, extending Ghana’s lead to 4-2.
Despite Mafouta completing his hat-trick with a powerful strike for CAR, the Black Stars held on to secure the win.
The last time this happened coincidentally began with a 2-1 comeback win over CAR in Gahna’s final 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier followed by a 3-1 victory over Liberia in September 2023.
This victory not only propels Ghana to the top of Group I with nine points but also marks their first consecutive wincoins in nearly a year.
The win at the Baba Yara Stadium underscores Ghana’s dominance at the venue, where they have never lost a World Cup qualifier. The Black Stars now look forward to maintaining their top form as they await the results of other matches in the group to solidify their standing after four games.