Ghana Defeats Somalia to Secure First Africa Cup Qualification Win

Ghana defeated Somalia two to zero in a twenty twenty-seven Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match at the Essipong Stadium in Sekondi on Thursday to claim their first victory in the competition in three years.

Defender Jonas Adjetey scored the opening goal in first-half stoppage time, and forward Felix Afena-Gyan added a second goal in the sixty-second minute to secure the points for the home side.

The result lifts Ghana to three points in Group C after losses in their opening two matches against Ivory Coast and The Gambia, reviving their hopes of reaching the tournament finals.

The victory also gave interim head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren his first competitive win in charge of the senior national team following a difficult start to the qualifying campaign.

Ghana went into the match under pressure and squandered an early scoring chance when captain Jordan Ayew had a penalty kick saved by Somali goalkeeper Ibrahim Hussein.

TribalFootball reported that the hosts dominated possession and created several opportunities before Adjetey broke the deadlock by heading home from a corner delivered by Mohammed Kudus.

Afena-Gyan then sealed the win after the interval when his shot crept under Hussein, according to reports from multiple outlets covering the fixture.

The victory ended a winless run in continental qualifying that dated back to November twenty twenty-three, according to match reports from the Confederation of African Football.

AllAfrica reported that the match exposed defensive weaknesses in the Somali side, which is ranked two hundredth in the world and sits at the bottom of Group C without a point.

Ghana will face Somalia again in the return fixture at the same stadium on Monday, November sixteenth, seeking another victory to strengthen their position in the group standings.