Ghana revived their campaign to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with a 2–0 victory over Somalia on Thursday, 12 November, ending a three-year winless run in AFCON qualifying.
According to the Confederation of African Football’s official match report, goals from defender Jonas Adjetey and striker Felix Afena-Gyan secured the Black Stars’ first points in Group C after defeats in their opening two matches.
Adjetey breaks the deadlock
Ghana entered the match under pressure following losses to Côte d’Ivoire and Gambia. An early opportunity to settle nerves went begging when captain Jordan Ayew missed a penalty awarded after Alidu Seidu was brought down in the area.
Somalia resisted for much of the first half, but Ghana found a breakthrough in stoppage time. Adjetey scored in the 45th minute plus two after a contribution from Mohammed Salisu, giving the hosts a lead at the interval.
Afena-Gyan doubled the advantage in the 62nd minute following an attacking move created by Mohammed Kudus. The second goal gave Ghana greater control of a match in which a win was important to keep their qualifying hopes alive.
Three points, but qualification remains open
CAF reported that the victory moved Ghana to three points in Group C. The result did not secure qualification, and the wider group picture depends on results involving other teams, including Côte d’Ivoire and Gambia.
The match was also the first competitive outing in charge for caretaker coach Kim Lars Björkegren, according to CAF. Ending the qualifying winless streak gives the team a platform, but it does not erase the difficulties of the opening two matches.
What comes next
For Ghana, the challenge is to build consistency rather than treat one result as a turnaround completed. A more dependable attack, defensive discipline and points against direct group rivals will be important as the qualifying campaign continues.
Somalia, meanwhile, can take some encouragement from their first-half resistance but will need stronger attacking output to turn competitive passages into results.
Ghana’s victory restores momentum and keeps the Black Stars in contention. The remaining fixtures, rather than Thursday’s result alone, will determine whether the team can return to the continental finals.
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