The Black Stars of Ghana continued their impressive form with a commanding 3-0 victory in their Matchday Six clash of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Monday night.
The four-time African champions faced off against Madagascar at the Al Hoceima Grand Stadium, with head coach Otto Addo making two changes to his starting lineup. Francis Abu and Jerome Opoku were handed starting roles, while Inaki Williams and Ernest Nuamah dropped to the bench.
Ghana started on the front foot and nearly took the lead in the 5th minute when Antoine Semenyo was fouled, but Mohammed Salisu was unable to capitalize on Jordan Ayew’s well-delivered free kick.
Their dominance soon paid off as Thomas Partey opened the scoring in the 10th minute, heading home another precise set-piece from Jordan Ayew. The goal marked Partey’s 14th for the national team in his 51st appearance.
Madagascar responded with a close effort in the 12th minute but failed to find the target. Ghana, fresh off their emphatic 5-0 win against Chad, almost doubled their lead when Mohammed Kudus unleashed a powerful strike, only for the Malagasy goalkeeper to make a fine save.
Despite Ghana’s control of the game, Madagascar remained a threat, nearly breaching the Black Stars’ defense in the 24th minute. Ghana, however, stayed resolute, creating another clear-cut chance four minutes later when Semenyo set up Kudus, who narrowly missed connecting with the ball.
The home side continued to push forward and earned a corner kick after a dangerous shot was deflected. Just before halftime, Kudus went down in the box, but the referee waved play on, ruling it as a goal kick. Ghana went into the break with a 1-0 advantage.
The Black Stars maintained their momentum in the second half and eventually doubled their lead in the 53rd minute. Once again, it was Partey who found the net, this time finishing off a powerful corner kick delivery from Jordan Ayew.
Just moments later, Ghana extended their lead to 3-0 with a superb strike from Kudus, effectively sealing the victory.
Otto Addo’s side continued to dictate play, and with 20 minutes left on the clock, Inaki Williams replaced Semenyo. Madagascar came close to pulling one back on the counterattack, but goalkeeper Benjamin Asare was on hand to make a crucial save.
Madagascar increased the pressure on Ghana’s backline, but Asare remained solid between the posts, denying the hosts once again.
In the final 10 minutes, Otto Addo made further changes, bringing on Ernest Nuamah, Razak Simpson, and Ebenezer Annan for Kudus, Gideon Mensah, and Francis Abu. Jerome Opoku, who suffered a cramp, was later substituted for Jonas Adjetey with eight minutes to play.
Ghana held firm until the final whistle, securing a dominant 3-0 win to strengthen their position at the top of Group I with 15 points. Madagascar remains second with 10 points.
Following their back-to-back victories against Chad and Madagascar, the Black Stars will resume their qualifiers in September with an away fixture against Chad before hosting Mali at the Accra Sports Stadium.