2026 FIFA WCQ: Partey Double Inspires Ghana to Victory, Cote d’Ivoire Maintain Group F Lead
A Thomas Partey brace inspired the Black Stars to an important 3-0 victory over Madagascar in Match Day 6 of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Monday evening.
Ghana wasted no time in finding the opener through Partey who found the first goal in the 11th minute before extending the lead for the Black Stars in the 58th minute, with Madagascar still trying to find themselves in the second half.
The match was put beyond reach just minutes after the second goal when dangerman, Mohamed Kudus made it three to the good on the 58th minute to seal the Black Stars’ fifth win and widen the gap between them and Madagascar to five points.
The emphatic win sees Ghana well on course to a place in the FIFA World Cup with just four matches remaining and leading Group I ahead of Madagascar who will be disappointed with the result.
Meanwhile, reigning African champions Cote d’Ivoire laboured to a hard-fought 1-0 win over The Gambia in a simultaneous fixture.
Sébastien Haller’s 15th minute strike was all that was required for The Elephants who did well to keep their shape and discipline in keeping the visitors at bay to secure the victory and the important three points.
The victory sees the African champions a point ahead of Gabon who had temporarily occupied the summit of Group F following their 2-1away win over Kenya on Monday.
Tunisia left it late but secured a crucial 2-0 win over a stubborn Malawi side to tighten their grip at the top of Group H in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers, while Ethiopia revived their campaign in emphatic fashion with a stunning 6-1 rout of Djibouti in Group A.
Seifeddine Jaziri came off the bench to break Malawi’s resistance with a headed goal in the 86th minute, before Elias Achouri sealed the victory with a stoppage-time penalty.
The Carthage Eagles were frustrated for much of the match by a well-drilled Malawi defence and needed late interventions to secure all three points.
Jaziri, introduced in the 78th minute by Tunisia head coach Sami Trabelsi, took just eight minutes to justify his selection, connecting with a cross to beat goalkeeper William Thole, who had been outstanding throughout the contest.
Achouri’s penalty in the 92nd minute put the result beyond doubt after Malawi, desperate to rescue a point, conceded a foul in the box.
There was still late drama as Malawi were awarded a penalty deep into added time, but Aymen Dahmen guessed correctly to deny Richard Mbulu from the spot.
The result sees Tunisia move to 13 points from five matches, four ahead of second-placed Namibia who were held to a 1-1.
In Group A, Ethiopia served up one of the most dominant performances of the qualifiers so far, thrashing Djibouti 6-1 to register their first win of the campaign in spectacular style.
Hat-tricks from Bereka Desta and Abubeker Nassir lit up the Stade Ben M’Hamed El Abdi in El Jadida, Morocco, as the Walya Antelopes turned on the style against a hapless Djibouti defence.
Desta opened the scoring in the 19th minute and added further strikes in the 52nd and 70th minutes.
Nassir wasn’t to be outdone, netting in the 34th, 37th, and 58th minutes to complete a devastating display of attacking football.
Djibouti, now with just a single point from six games, had a brief moment of hope when Samuel Akinbinu pulled a goal back in the 51st minute.
But that proved to be a mere consolation as Ethiopia ran riot to climb to fourth place in the group standings, although they remain seven points behind leaders Egypt, who have a game in hand.
It was a statement win from Mesay Teferi’s side, who had struggled in earlier fixtures but will now hope to carry momentum into the final stretch of qualifying.
With two matchdays remaining, both Tunisia and Ethiopia have given their fans renewed hope – the former eyeing a return to the World Cup, and the latter showing they may yet have a say in Group A’s final outcome.
Namibia and Equatorial Guinea cancelled each other out in a 1-1 draw in Johannesburg on Matchday 6 of the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday.
The Brave Warriors, buoyed by a narrow win over Malawi, were hoping to keep pace with Group H leaders Tunisia, while Equatorial Guinea entered the clash fresh from a 2-0 win over São Tomé and Príncipe.
But despite both teams’ strong recent form, the first half at Orlando Stadium offered little in the way of quality finishing.
Namibia created the better chances early on but were left frustrated by a well-organised Equatorial Guinea defence and a lack of precision in the final third.
At the break, it remained goalless, with both sides knowing they needed more urgency to change the script.
The game witnessed a drastically different second half, as the contest came alive within minutes of the restart.
Namibia broke the deadlock in the 51st minute when Deon Hotto whipped in a teasing free-kick that was expertly volleyed home by Peter Shalulile, who found himself unmarked at the edge of the six-yard box.
However, their lead was short-lived. Just three minutes later, Equatorial Guinea hit back through defender Saúl Coco, who lashed in the equaliser after Esteban Orozco picked him out in space.
The goal was a reward for Nzalang Nacional’s growing influence in midfield.
Both sides pushed for a winner in the final stages, but neither could find the cutting edge required. Namibia stay second in Group H on 12 points, three behind Tunisia, while Equatorial Guinea remain in fourth with seven points.
The result keeps Namibia within striking distance of qualification, while Equatorial Guinea must now win their remaining matches to have any realistic hopes of advancing.
