MOHAMMED Kudus scored as Ghana beat Comoros 1-0 in Accra to win Group I and become the fifth African qualifier for the 2026 World Cup.
Cheered on by a capacity 40,000 crowd, Ghana dominated first half possession and territory but slow, predictable attacks meant Comoros goalkeeper Adel Anzimati-Aboudou was seldom troubled.
The home side wasted little time after the interval in taking the lead as Tottenham midfielder Kudus struck on 47 minutes.
Comoros only partially cleared a goalmouth scramble and when the ball was crossed low into the six-yard box, Kudus tapped it into the net from point-blank range.
Success against Comoros was particularly sweet as the Indian Ocean islanders shocked Ghana at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations and beat them again in the second round of World Cup qualifying two years ago.
Ghana top the group with 25 points from 10 matches while Madagascar finished second with 19 points despite a 4-1 loss to third-placed Mali in Bamako.
It will be the fifth appearance by the Black Stars in the global showpiece with their best performance coming in 2010 in South Africa where they lost to Uruguay after a quarter-finals penalty shootout.
Qualification for the expanded 48-nation 2026 tournament justified the faith of Ghanaian officials in coach Otto Addo who was under fire last year.
There were persistent demands from the public and media in the west African country for Addo to be sacked after a disastrous 2025 AFCON qualifying campaign.
Ghana did not win any of six AFCON qualifiers and finished a humiliating last behind Angola, Sudan and Niger with just three points.
The other four automatic African qualifiers for the World Cup will be decided on Monday and Tuesday with Benin, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast and Senegal the group leaders.
Egypt rested Liverpool star Mohamed Salah for their final match at home to Guinea-Bissau and an early goal from Mohamed Hamdy delivered a 1-0 Group A victory in Cairo.
Niger upset Zambia 1-0 in Ndola to finish second in Group E behind Morocco and currently lie third in the mini-leagues runners-up table behind Gabon and Burkina Faso.
The four best-ranked second-placed teams after the final qualifiers on Tuesday advance to play-offs in Morocco during November.
Whoever wins the mini-tournament qualifies for six-nation inter-continental play-offs next March with two World Cup places up for grabs.
Niger striker Daniel Sosah scored in his third straight qualifier firing a rebound into the net on 56 minutes after goalkeeper Lawrence Mulenga failed to hold a Victorien Adebayor shot.
Meanwhile the Nigerian squad coaches technical staff and officials arrived safely in southeastern city Uyo on Sunday.
Returning home after a Group C win over Lesotho in South Africa last Friday the jet carrying the Super Eagles had to make an emergency landing in Angola due to a cracked windscreen.
The team media officer Promise Efoghe said a replacement aircraft was sent to Luanda and the journey to Nigeria was safely completed.
Nigeria are third entering the final round on Tuesday three points behind Benin and one below South Africa.
However the Super Eagles could finish first if they defeat shock leaders Benin in Uyo and South Africa do not win at home to Rwanda.
South Sudan coach Nicolas Dupuis has reportedly been suspended for 15 days and told to stay away from the national squad after a 5-0 home loss to Group B leaders Senegal on Friday.
France-born Dupuis guided Madagascar to a shock win over Nigeria in the 2019 Cup of Nations in Egypt and the islanders exceeded expectations by reaching the quarter-finals in their first appearance. – AFP
