The Black Stars of Ghana took a decisive step towards securing a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after delivering a commanding 5-0 victory over the Central African Republic (CAR) in their penultimate Group I qualifier on Wednesday night in Morocco. This emphatic win, one of the most convincing performances under coach Otto Addo, means Ghana now needs just a single point in their final game against Comoros to officially book their ticket to the Mundial.
Ghana approached the contest with clear intent, and their early pressure paid off in the 21st minute. A teasing in-swinging corner from Mohammed Kudus found Mohammed Salisu at the far post, whose header crept past the goalkeeper to open the scoring. Despite continued pressure and several close calls, the first half concluded with a narrow 1-0 lead.
The break seemed to reset the Black Stars, who returned with renewed intensity. Within seven minutes of the restart, the lead was doubled when Jordan Ayew threaded a clever through-ball to Thomas Partey, who broke clear and hammered his effort into the net. Ayew was quickly the provider again, swinging in a pinpoint cross that found Alexander Djiku, who rose expertly to head home, making it 3-0. Ayew finally got the goal his industrial performance deserved twenty minutes from time, volleying crisply past the keeper to make it 4-0. The scoring was capped in the 87th minute by substitute Kamaldeen Sulemana, who tapped in from close range for his first goal for the national team, sealing the 5-0 rout.
The Set-Piece Advantage
Crucially, the victory underscored Ghana’s new tactical weapon: set-piece mastery. Since the March international break, Ghana has now scored eight goals from dead-ball situations, with corners being particularly fruitful. This transformation is attributed to the deliberate emphasis placed on exploiting these opportunities by Otto Addo’s staff, specifically naming Gregory De Grauwe, the Belgian video analyst and set-piece specialist.
De Grauwe, who holds a UEFA B-license and works with KV Kortrijk in Belgium, combines video scouting with practical on-field routines to focus on opponent weaknesses. His influence has been distinctive: Ghana scored twice from set plays in the 3-0 win over Madagascar in March, and Djiku’s crucial header from a corner provided the margin of victory in the narrow win over Mali. By mixing up their approach with in-swingers, short routines, and long throws, Ghana has become notoriously difficult to defend against, proving that these “marginal gains” are invaluable in tight international qualifiers.
The dominant 5-0 result not only gives Ghana a massive three-point lead at the top of Group I but also boosts their goal difference to +16, a full eight goals better than second-placed Madagascar. With goal difference serving as the tiebreaker, it would take an extraordinary eight-goal swing in favour of Madagascar for Ghana to be overtaken should they lose their final game—an extremely unlikely scenario. With momentum on their side, Otto Addo’s men host Comoros in Accra on Sunday, placing one foot firmly in the 2026 World Cup finals.
