ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Ghana became the fifth African nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup on Sunday.
The 2010 quarterfinalist will join Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia at next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Ghana needed a point against Comoros in their final Group I game to ensure they qualify for back-to-back World Cups and sealed their spot with a 1-0 win at the Accra Sports Stadium.
In the end, it wasn't even necessary after second-place Madagascar lost 4–1 to Mali.
Tottenham striker Mohamed Kudus scored the decisive goal in the 47th minute to ensure Ghana qualified in style.
Madagascar still finished second, but a win would boost its chances of being among the top four runners-up vying for a playoff spot.
The nine group winners automatically qualify for the World Championships. The top four runners-up will play in a mini-tournament consisting of two semi-finals and a final in November.
The winning team advances to the FIFA playoff tournament against opponents from Asia, CONCACAF, South America and Oceania.
Burkina Faso, second in Group A behind Egypt, ended their campaign with a 3-1 win over Ethiopia, with substitute Pierre Landry Kabore scoring a second-half hat-trick.
Egypt have already qualified and secured another victory, beating Guinea-Bissau 1-0.
In Group E, Niger beat Zambia 1-0 to finish second.
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
