The Black Stars have revived their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign with a 2-0 victory over Somalia at the Essipong Sports Stadium in Sekondi on Thursday, November 12, 2026.
Goals from Jonas Adjetey and Felix Afena-Gyan secured Ghana’s first three points in the qualifiers, offering interim head coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren some relief after successive defeats to Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia.
The victory also provided a memorable return for the national team to Sekondi, where Ghana had not played for 16 years.
Ghana started the encounter with several experienced players, including Mohammed Kudus, Mohammed Salisu, Jordan Ayew and Thomas Partey, who returned to the squad.
However, the Black Stars missed an early opportunity to take control of the game when captain Jordan Ayew failed to convert a penalty in the 13th minute.
Ayew had won the spot-kick after Alidu Seidu was fouled inside the penalty area, but his effort was unsuccessful, ending his record of nine consecutive successful penalties for the national team.
The hosts continued to press for the opening goal, with Ayew also missing a close-range header as Ghana struggled to convert their chances in the first half.
The breakthrough finally arrived two minutes after the restart when Jonas Adjetey rose to head home from a Mohammed Salisu assist in the 47th minute.
Ghana maintained their attacking pressure, and Salisu almost doubled the advantage 11 minutes into the second half, but his header sailed over the crossbar.
The second goal eventually came in the 62nd minute through Felix Afena-Gyan, who calmly finished a through pass from Mohammed Kudus to give Ghana a two-goal cushion.
With the result largely secured, Bjorkegren introduced fresh legs, including Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, who replaced Jordan Ayew in the 75th minute.
The substitution marked Kyereh’s first appearance for the Black Stars since the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
He nearly marked his return with a goal just two minutes later, but the Somali goalkeeper denied his effort.
Goalkeeper Benjamin Asare ensured Ghana preserved their advantage, keeping a clean sheet as Somalia failed to find a breakthrough in the closing stages.
The result moves Ghana to third position in Group C with three points, while Somalia remain three points behind.
Côte d’Ivoire and The Gambia, who were yet to play their respective match later on Thursday, occupied the top two positions.
The Black Stars will have an immediate opportunity to strengthen their qualification hopes when they face Somalia again on Monday, November 16, 2026, at the Essipong Sports Stadium.
Another victory would give Ghana valuable momentum as they seek to recover from their disappointing start to the qualifying campaign.
