Ghana end three-year AFCON qualifying winless run with victory over Somalia

By Kate Gaduna

Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon

Ghana’s Black Stars have revived their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign after securing a much-needed 2-0 victory over Somalia at the Sekondi Sports Stadium on Thursday, November 12, 2026. Goals from Jonas Adjetey and Felix Afena-Gyan handed the four-time African champions their first three points of the qualifying campaign following a difficult start to Group C.

The victory was particularly important for Ghana, who entered the encounter without a point after suffering defeats against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia in their opening two matches. The Black Stars had lost 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire before suffering a disappointing 4-2 home defeat to The Gambia, results that increased pressure on the team and led to the departure of coach Carlos Queiroz.

Under caretaker coach Kim Lars Björkegren, Ghana approached Thursday’s encounter with renewed determination but initially struggled to translate their dominance into goals. Captain Jordan Ayew missed an opportunity to put the hosts ahead in the 13th minute after his penalty was saved by Somalia goalkeeper Ibrahim Hussein. The missed spot-kick threatened to increase the pressure on the home side, but Ghana eventually found their breakthrough in first-half stoppage time.

Defender Jonas Adjetey rose highest to head home in the 45+2 minute after Mohammed Salisu directed Mohammed Kudus’ corner back into a dangerous area. It was a crucial moment for the Black Stars, with Adjetey celebrating his first international goal for Ghana and giving the hosts a deserved advantage at the interval.

Ghana continued to control proceedings after the restart and doubled their lead in the 62nd minute through Felix Afena-Gyan. The forward finished confidently after being set up by Mohammed Kudus, who produced an influential performance on his return to the national team. The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder was making his first international appearance of 2026 and contributed to both goals, providing the corner that led to Adjetey’s opener before assisting Afena-Gyan.

The victory also ended Ghana’s three-year wait for an AFCON qualifying win, with their previous success in the competition dating back to November 2023. It provided a positive beginning to Björkegren’s competitive tenure in charge of the senior men’s national team, while Mohammed Kudus’ return and Daniel Kofi Kyereh’s appearance after a lengthy international absence offered further encouragement.

Ghana move to third position in Group C with three points from three matches, remaining behind Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, who had both won their opening two fixtures. Somalia remain without a point following three consecutive defeats. The Black Stars will have an immediate opportunity to build on Thursday’s success when the two countries meet again on Monday, November 16. Another victory would take Ghana to six points and strengthen their hopes of securing a place at the 2027 AFCON in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.