Black Stars chase first back-to-back wins in 9 months

Ghana’s Black Stars are aiming for their first consecutive win in nine months as they prepare to face the Central African Republic (CAR) on Monday.

The four-time African champions recently ended a challenging period with a crucial 2-1 victory over Mali at the Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako last Thursday. This win, their first since November 2023, marked their second triumph in the 2026 World Cup qualification campaign and positioned them level on points with Madagascar and Comoros.

The Black Stars last achieved back-to-back wins in September 2023, coincidentally against CAR in a 2-1 victory during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, followed by a 3-1 win over Liberia in an international friendly. Since then, they have only managed two victories, including the recent one over Mali.A win over CAR on Monday would signify a significant improvement in form and boost Ghana’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, to be held in the USA, Mexico, and Canada

“We all want to go to the World Cup however we get there.”

Mohammed Kudus says sometimes the Black Stars have to win tough in their ambition to reach the World Cup#3SportsGH pic.twitter.com/TeveX7X4fp

— #3Sports (@3SportsGh) June 10, 2024

Ahead of the game, coach Otto Addo emphasised the need for caution and focus. “One thing is for sure, it’s going to be a very difficult game. For everyone who thinks it’s going to be easy, we hope it goes like that, but it’s a difficult game. We can’t relax now,” Addo told the media on Sunday evening.Addo also expressed his gratitude to the Kumasi fans, calling for their unwavering support in this pivotal fixture.

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“I was really overwhelmed the last time we came here. To be honest, I didn’t expect that, especially looking at our performance in AFCON, and yet they cheered us in numbers. It’s the reason why I love Kumasi fans. I love coming here, we need their support from the start to the end of the game.”

CAR coach Raoul Savoy, on the other hand, is aiming to lead his team to exact revenge against the West Africans. “Same players, different coach. African qualifiers and the World Cup are another story. And in football, 7-8 months is a long, long time, and Otto arriving early this year and playing matches in March. I think it’s similar players, but for us, it’s revenge against the Ghanaians. I don’t know about them, but we will see tomorrow [Monday],” Savoy commented.With Group I now wide open, Ghana sit with six points, and a win could catapult them to first place for the first time in the qualification campaign, at least for a day, before the results from other matches come in. The Black Stars will need to maintain their momentum and seize this opportunity to solidify their path to the 2026 World Cup.