Ghana’s Black Stars went top of the table in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against The Central African Republic on Monday, June 10, 2024 at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi.
Ghana started the game brilliantly and got themselves a spot kick in the game with Jordan Ayew dispatching the spot kick to make it 1-0 the Black Stars after just five minutes of the match.
Five minutes later, Louis Mafouta brillantly and exquisitely scored the equalizer for the away team capitalizing on a lackadaisical defending from AS Monaco defender Mohammed Salisu.
The game was a balanced one for the two teams as they both pushed forward to get the second with halve chances coming the way of both teams but failed to take it.
Four minutes away from the half time whistle, Mafouta singlehandedly pieced through the defense of the Black Stars and squeezed the ball passed Lawrence Ati-Zigi to give the Wild Beast the lead at halftime.
Fifteen minutes into the second half and Gideon Mensah’s cross found the head of Jordan Ayew to score the equalizer after Kama Sulemana had missed some good chances in the game.
Two minutes later, Leicester City loanee, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku saw his deflected shot into the back of the net to make it 3-2 to the Black Stars who reclaim the lead after 62 minutes.
Jordan Ayew scrambled home the fourth goal to make it 4-2 to Ghana after 69 minutes with 21 minutes on the clock to play.
Later in the game, Mafouta scored a free-kick to make it 4-3 at the end of the of the pulsating game between the two teams with Jordan Ayew and Louis Mafouta both scoring a hat-trick.
Below is the Black Stars’ starting lineup against Central African Republic:
Lawrence Ati-Zigi (GK), Alidu Seidu, Alexander Djiku, Mohammed Salisu, Gideon Mensah, Salis Abdul Samed, Thomas Partey (C), Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Mohammed Kudus, Jordan Ayew.
