Sports News of Monday, 10 June 2024
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
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L-R Kudus Mohammed, Jordan Ayew and Fatawu Issahaku
The Black Stars squeezed out another slim win in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, beating the Central African Republic 4-3 in a thrilling game at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Monday, June 10, 2024.
Jordan Ayew, who had arguably his best game in Ghana colours yet, hit a hattrick with Fatawu Issahaku adding another as the Black Stars ensured that their remarkable unbeaten home run at the Baba Yara Stadium is intact. They have not lost a game at the venue since 2000.
It was a game of two halves for the four-time African champions, who needed a blazing second-half performance to make up for a stale, dreadful, and lackadaisical first half.
Jordan Ayew started the goal funfair just 3 minutes into the match with a composed finish from the spot.
The visitors showed resilience despite going down early in an intimidating and deafening atmosphere at Baba Yara Stadium and equalized in the 11th minute through Louis Mafouta.
Quick passing from the back and a delightful long ball from Kondogbia found Mafouta behind the defence, and the latter made no mistake by putting the ball at the back of the net.
Mafouta, in the final minutes of the half, silenced the home fans after he capitalized on a mishap in Ghana’s defence line to give the Wild Beasts the lead.
Ghana headed into the tunnel trailing by a goal, and the disappointed home fans booed the players on their way out of the pitch.
Otto Addo’s charges returned for the second half with guns blazing and took the game to CAR.
With Mohammed Kudus as the main architect, the Black Stars were unstoppable with fluid passing and some brilliant attacking football.
The West Ham United man danced through the CAR defence before setting up Kamaldeen Sulemana, who was open on goal, but the Southampton man fired over the crossbar.
After missing a couple of chances, the Black Stars eventually found the equalizer through Jordan, who beautifully connected a gorgeous cross from Gideon Mensah in the 60th minute.
Two minutes later, Abdul Fatawu Isshaku finished off a lovely one-touch passing sequence to extend the lead with his effort from the edge of the box taking a deflection.
The Black Stars were in cruise control and added another in the 69th minute when Jordan scored from a rebound to complete his second hat-trick in his international career.
The game seemed done until CAR found a lifeline in the dying minutes through Mafouta, who scored a sensational free-kick in the 90th minute.
The match then entered an anxious ending, with memories of Ghana conceding late at the 2023 AFCON flashing, but the Black Stars, this time, hung on to secure a back-to-back win in the qualifiers.
Following the win, Ghana now leads Group I with 9 points. Madagascar and Comoros are tied for second and third place, respectively, with 6 points each, while Mali and Central African Republic are tied for fourth and fifth place, with 4 points each.
Chad sits at the bottom with zero points.
