Ghana breathed new life into their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign after recording a hard earned 2-0 triumph over Somalia at the Essipong Sports Stadium in Sekondi Takoradi on Thursday afternoon.
The Black Stars collected maximum points in their opening Group C fixture of the November international window, bringing an end to a five match winless sequence and handing interim manager Kim Lars Björkegren a victorious beginning to his competitive tenure.
Ghana initially had an opportunity to establish an early advantage in the 14th minute after defender Alidu Seidu was brought down inside Somalia’s penalty area, prompting the match official to award the hosts a spot kick.
However, Black Stars captain Jordan Ayew failed to convert the resulting penalty, squandering an opportunity to give Ghana the lead and allowing the visitors to remain within touching distance.
Despite the setback, the home side maintained their attacking pressure and continued to dictate proceedings as they searched for an opening against a well organised Somali outfit that remained disciplined in its defensive approach.
Their sustained efforts eventually produced the breakthrough shortly before the interval when central defender Jonas Adjetey found the net, giving Ghana a deserved advantage as both teams headed into the dressing rooms.
The crucial strike offered the Black Stars a timely lift following Ayew’s earlier penalty disappointment and provided the hosts with greater confidence as they sought to consolidate their superiority.
Ghana resumed the encounter with renewed attacking determination after the restart and extended their advantage in the 62nd minute through forward Felix Afena Gyan.
The attacker completed a promising attacking move initiated by Mohammed Kudus, who supplied the decisive assist to put the Black Stars two goals ahead and underline the significance of his return to the national setup.
Somalia struggled to mount a meaningful comeback as Ghana maintained control of the encounter and successfully protected their advantage until the final whistle, securing an important victory in their pursuit of qualification.
The outcome represents a welcome recovery for the four time African champions following consecutive setbacks against Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, results that had intensified concerns about their prospects of reaching the continental tournament.
With the victory restoring some confidence within the Ghanaian camp, Björkegren will now shift his attention towards Monday’s return engagement against Somalia at the same stadium.
Another positive result would further improve Ghana’s standing in Group C and strengthen their prospects of securing qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
