BBC Pidgin of Monday, 24 March 2025

Source: BBC

Ghana vs Madagascar: Fifa Africa 2026 World Cup qualifiers preview

Ghana Balack Stars Ghana Balack Stars

Ghana and Madagascar go jam for dia 2026 World Cup qualifier for Morocco on Monday.

Dis dey happun afta di Black Stars hammer Chad 5-0 for di Accra sports stadium on Friday.

Dat na di first time Ghana don score five goals for one game since dem thrash Qatar 5-0 for di year 2020.

Goals from Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth), captain Jordan Ayew (Leicester city), Mohammed Salisu (Monaco), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao) and Ernest Nuamah (Lyon) give Ghana di emphatic victory for dat game.

Wit dat win, Ghana don climb to di top of Group I wit 12 points from five matches.

Madagascar dey second wit 10 points, Comoros get nine points, Mali and Central African Republic both get eight points wey Chad dey bottom of di table wit only one point.

Ghana President John Mahama bin ginger di team wen im visit dem ahead of di Chad game wey im tok say make dem win dis two qualifiers and make di fans happy again.

"Una go get di support of di kontri if you win dis games, make una show dedication like how una dey do for your clubs. As goment, we go support you to deliver."

Afta di 5-0 win v Chad, President Mahama tok say "I bin get appetite for food wit dat result, make dis victory no enter your head. Dis gat to be di beginning of di love for di Black Stars once again."

Team news

Ghana no get any injury mata for dis game as di team do dia recovery training for Morocco.

Coach Otto Addo bin tok say im dey want make di team focus for dis game.

"Everybody happy about our last win but we still gat long way to go, na so everybody gat to be on dia toes. We dey need 100% from di whole team."

Im add say "dis na tough game, wetin I call small final."

Im add say di technical team bin observe di Madagascar team well well, wia we go try to beat dem.

Hearts of oak goalkeeper Benjamin Asare wey keep clean sheet for im blackstars debut at 32 years, go fit dey inside post again today.

Sabi pipo tok say di coach dey likely to maintain di defense - Alexander Djiku, Mohammed Salisu, Gideon Mensah and Kingsley Schindler.

Black Stars legends - Asamoah Gyan and Stephen Appiah bin dey camp to ginger di boys and give dem vim for dis match.

Na long time wey di kontris legends don dey around di team to inspire dem and motivate dem.

Di football association believe say dis go help di squad.

Madagascar coach Corentin Martins ahead of di game tok say dem go play to dia own strength to try and beat Ghana.

"We don dey face ogbonge team like Ghana, but we go do our best."

Dem appoint Corentin for February dis year as coach ahead of di qualifiers wit central Africa republic and Ghana.

As dem appoint am, im tok say "na short term contract, we go try to qualify for di World Cup; na tough dream but we go try to make am."

Di Barea go rely on dia goalkeeper Geordan Dupire wey bin make three ogbonge saves for di game against central Africa republic.

Head-to-head

Dis go be di fifth time Ghana and Madagascar go jam for competitive games - Black Stars bin win two, Madagascar also win two, wit 1 draw.

Na so di last time dem face each oda, Inaki Williams score one late goal for di Baba Yara Sports stadium for November 2023.

Dat game na di first win for di 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

For June 2022, blackstars don hammer Madagascar 3-0 for di 2023 Africa cup of nations qualifiers - for di reverse game, di two teams play 0-0.

Madagascar no fit score goal for dia last three games wit Ghana.

Possible lineupsGhana

Asare (GK); Schindler, Djiku, Salisu, Mensah, Partey, Kudus, Nuamah, Ayew, Semenyo, Williams

Madagascar

Dupire (GK); Morgan, Fontaine, Marcelin, Rabemanantsoa, Lapoussin, Couturier, IIaimaharitra, Raveloson, Randriananten, Caddy