2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier: Black Stars held by Chad after late equaliser

The Black Stars of Ghana were left frustrated in N’Djamena as a stoppage-time strike from Celestin Ecua denied them victory in a 1-1 draw against Chad in Thursday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

Ghana started brightly and deservedly broke the deadlock through captain Jordan Ayew, who calmly slotted home midway through the first half.

The Crystal Palace forward continued his fine form in front of goal, giving Otto Addo’s men early control.

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The Black Stars could have doubled their lead just minutes later when Caleb Yirenkyi failed to convert from close range after being teed up by Antoine Semenyo. Semenyo himself came close, firing into the side netting, while another chance before the break saw him sky Ayew’s clever pass over the bar.

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Black Stars in Control

After the interval, Ghana maintained possession and dictated the tempo, with Thomas Partey and Mohammed Kudus orchestrating play in midfield. Kudus almost doubled the lead with a curling effort in the 68th minute, while substitutes Kamaldeen Sulemana and Christopher Bonsu Baah injected pace and directness in attack.

Chad, who had largely sat deep and looked for counter-attacking opportunities, carved out their best chance in the 55th minute, but their forward wastefully fired wide under no pressure.

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Late Drama

Just as Ghana appeared to be closing in on a vital three points, Chad struck at the death. Celestin Ecua capitalised on a defensive lapse to fire past goalkeeper Benjamin Asare in the 90th minute, sparking wild celebrations from the home crowd.

What It Means

The draw halts Ghana’s winning run in Group I but keeps them at the summit of the table. However, the late setback will be viewed as two points dropped in their pursuit of a fifth World Cup appearance.

The Black Stars now turn their attention to a crunch tie against Mali in Accra, where victory will be crucial to maintaining their qualification momentum.