Ghana’s march towards the 2026 World Cup suffered an unexpected stumble as they were pegged back by already-eliminated Chad in a dramatic 1-1 draw in N’Djamena on Thursday afternoon.
The Black Stars looked to be cruising towards three points after captain Jordan Ayew’s clinical first-half finish, but Celestin Ecua’s heavily deflected strike with just a minute of normal time remaining earned the hosts their first point of the qualifying campaign.
Despite the setback, Ghana remain firmly in control of Group I, maintaining a three-point cushion at the summit following results elsewhere on Thursday. Madagascar moved into second place with a convincing 2-0 victory over Central African Republic, whilst Mali kept their qualification hopes alive with a comprehensive 3-0 triumph against Comoros.
The Black Stars made a bright start in the sweltering heat of the Chadian capital, with Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus proving a constant menace down the right flank. It was his enterprising run and precise cross that set up the opening goal midway through the first half, as Ayew showed typical predatory instincts to convert from close range.
Ghana should have doubled their advantage before the interval when Ayew turned provider, threading a delightful pass through for Antoine Semenyo. However, the Bournemouth forward blazed his effort high over the crossbar when well-placed.
The visitors continued to dominate possession in the second period, with Kudus going agonisingly close to extending the lead when his curling effort drifted narrowly wide of the post.
Chad, who had already been mathematically eliminated from qualification contention, offered little in the way of attacking threat for the majority of the contest. Their best chance fell to midfielder Franck Tchaouna, who capitalised on a rare defensive lapse, only to be denied by a sharp save from Benjamin Asare.
However, the home side delivered a sucker punch with virtually the last kick of the game. Ecua drove forward purposefully before unleashing a speculative effort from 25 yards that took a wicked deflection off a Ghana defender, wrong-footing Asare and nestling in the bottom corner.
The result means only the group winners are guaranteed a place at next year’s expanded 48-team tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Ghana will be eager to return to winning ways when they next take to the field, knowing that qualification for consecutive World Cup finals remains well within their grasp despite this minor hiccup.
