- Black Stars End Losing Start with 2–0 Win over Somalia
Ghana earned their first points in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers with a 2–0 win over Somalia in Sekondi on Thursday, easing the pressure after a difficult start to their campaign.
Jonas Adjetey opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time before Felix Afena-Gyan added a second soon after the break. The result gives the four-time champions a foothold in Group C after opening defeats left their qualification hopes under immediate strain.
The victory will bring relief, but it does not erase the poor start. Ghana had lost their first two qualifiers, prompting the departure of veteran coach Carlos Queiroz. Kim Lars Björkegren, who coaches Ghana’s women’s team, was placed temporarily in charge for the match.
The Black Stars began with a chance to take control when Jordan Ayew won a penalty in the 14th minute. But Somalia goalkeeper Ibrahim Hussein saved the captain’s spot-kick, and the visitors ranked 200th held out for much of the first half.
Ghana finally broke through in added time. Adjetey rose to head home and give the hosts a lead that their pressure had not produced earlier. Afena-Gyan then doubled the advantage after the interval, settling the match and securing Ghana’s first three points of the campaign.
The scoreline offered a more reassuring finish than the tense opening suggested. Ghana had to wait until late in the first half to convert their dominance into a goal, and the missed penalty left room for frustration. Adjetey’s breakthrough, however, changed the terms of the match: Ghana could play with a lead, while Somalia had to take greater risks.
For Björkegren, the win provides a positive first step in a demanding interim assignment. It also gives the squad a result to build on as Ghana try to recover from the setbacks that placed them in danger of missing another continental tournament.
That danger is not theoretical. Ghana failed to qualify for the previous Africa Cup of Nations, ending a long run of consecutive appearances. A return to winning form is therefore important, but the team must now show that Thursday’s performance can be repeated against stronger opposition and under greater pressure.
Thursday’s result came amid a broader round of qualifiers in which several former champions also won. The Democratic Republic of Congo beat Sierra Leone 3–1, Cameroon defeated Namibia 2–0, and Ivory Coast edged The Gambia 2–1. Ghana’s match, though, carried particular urgency because the Black Stars entered it without a point.
The win restores some belief, but Ghana’s route to the finals remains demanding. The next challenge is to carry the momentum into the return fixture against Somalia and turn a first victory into a sustained push for qualification.
For now, the Black Stars have stopped the slide. The harder task is proving that this was the beginning of a recovery, rather than a brief reprieve.
