Williams rescues Ghana in WC qualifier opener

ACCRA – Following a pulsating encounter at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Inaki Williams scored a dramatic 95th minute winner as Ghana recorded a 1-0 victory over Madagascar in their opening Group I 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier yesterday.

Madagascar settled well onto the ball during opening stages of the game and penned the home team back on numerous occasions. The Black Stars battled to get out of their half as Madagascar stroked the ball around with precision.

Despite Madagascar’s dominance, the visiting side failed to make the most of their attacking advancements, while Ghana provided little threats of their own.

Barea continued to pile on the pressure as the half-hour mark approached, with goalkeeper Richard Ofori being kept on his toes, while his defence played on the backfoot.

Patient

Ghana managed to get into the game with patient buildup play toward the end of the first-half and manufactured a couple of goal scoring opportunities in the process. However, the Black Stars were met by aggressive defending by the travelling outfit.

However, it was Madagascar who ended the first 45 on the front foot and troubled the Ghana backline on numerous occasions, as Ofori pleaded with his defence to remain calm. Chris Hughton’s halftime team talk appeared to have injected much-needed energy into his team as Ghana commenced the second-half on a proactive note. Inaki Williams managed to find the back of the net soon after the restart, however, the linesman managed to spot an offside infringement inside the box which ruled out the attacker’s effort.

Nonetheless, Madagascar continued to ask questions from an attacking point of view and provided Ghana with a couple of nervy defensive moments after the hour mark.