Ghana beat Somalia to end 37-month winless AFCON run

Ghana ended a 37-month streak without a win in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, defeating Somalia 2-0 in Essipong on Thursday. The match, held at the Essipong Sports Stadium in Sekondi-Takoradi, provided much-needed relief for acting coach Kim Lars Bjorkegren, who is serving as a temporary replacement for the national team. The goals came early and late in the game, with Adjei Adjetey scoring a header in added time after a corner kick.

Somalia, the world's 200th-ranked team, failed to capitalize on their home advantage, allowing Ghana to secure a crucial win in Group C. Meanwhile, in Group E, Equatorial Guinea played to a 0-0 draw with Zimbabwe at a stadium in Cameroon, where the absence of regular goalkeeper Jesus Owono has been a concern. Elsewhere, Senegal defeated Sudan 4-1 in Group J, with Senegal seeking to overturn a controversial penalty decision that cost them the 2023 AFCON final against Morocco.