Needing a point to be sure of going through, Ghana’s qualification was all but secured before kick-off given they could only fail by losing at home to Comoros and Madagascar not just winning in Mali but also overturning a far inferior goal difference (-8).
Yet a Ghana win over Comoros was by no means guaranteed, having stunned the Black Stars in their last two meetings.
The Indian Ocean islanders famously knocked the four-time continental champions out of the Nations Cup in 2022, before beating them 1-0 on home soil early in the Group I campaign.
The visitors had the best chance of the opening period, when Benjaloud Youssouf headed wide with the goal gaping, but that was as close as they came as Ghana reached their fifth World Cup out of the past six.
Despite fielding Bournemouth livewire Antoine Semenyo, whose six goals from seven Premier League games this season is in stark contrast to his three from 31 Ghana caps, and Leicester City’s Jordan Ayew, who has seven goals in qualifying, the Black Stars failed to shine in attack.
Nonetheless, the tensions in a packed Accra Sports Stadium were considerably eased by Mali finishing off Madagascar in style, with goals from Lassine Sinayoko (2), Nene Dorgeles and Gaoussou Diarra.
Madagascar’s defeat means their hopes of being among the best four runners-up from the nine African groups are over.
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