Ghana revive Afcon hopes after ending losing streak with Somalia victory

Ghana finally have something to celebrate in their quest for a place at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations after ending their winless start with a 2-0 triumph over Somalia, although captain Jordan Ayew missed an early penalty that could have given the hosts a quicker breakthrough.

The Black Stars entered Thursday's Group C fixture facing mounting pressure following defeats to Ivory Coast and The Gambia in their first two matches, a disappointing run that resulted in coach Carlos Queiroz leaving his position by mutual agreement.

With qualification hopes already under threat, Ghana appointed women's national team coach Kim Bjorkegren to take temporary charge of the squad for their two meetings against Somalia.

The change in leadership appeared to offer some relief as Ghana returned to winning ways in Sekondi-Takoradi, even though their afternoon began with a missed opportunity.

Alidu Seidu won a penalty after being brought down inside the box, handing the home side an opportunity to take an early lead.

Ayew stepped forward to take the 14th-minute spot-kick but saw his effort stopped by Somalia goalkeeper Ibrahim Hussein, who kept the visitors in the contest.

Ghana had to wait until first-half stoppage time to find the breakthrough, with Jonas Adjetey rising to head home from six yards.

The goal followed a well-worked set piece in which Mohammed Salisu directed Mohammed Kudus's deep corner back across the goalmouth, allowing Adjetey to finish.

The hosts returned from the break determined to increase their advantage and eventually found a second goal shortly after the hour mark.

Felix Afena-Gyan made it 2-0 after his attempt from inside the penalty area slipped through Hussein's grasp and crossed the line, putting the result beyond Somalia.

The victory gives Ghana their first points of the campaign, although they still have considerable ground to cover in Group C.

The four-time African champions remain six points behind leaders Ivory Coast, who continued their impressive run by defeating The Gambia 2-1 in Bouake.

The Elephants took control through Brighton midfielder Malick Yalcouye, who scored from seven yards, before Elye Wahi added another goal to increase their lead.

Musa Barrow managed to pull one back for The Gambia before the interval, but Ivory Coast protected their advantage to maintain a 100 per cent record.

Meanwhile, Cameroon, DR Congo and Senegal also strengthened their qualification campaigns with victories as the race for next year's finals gathered pace.

The third round of qualifying matches continues on Friday, with 12 fixtures scheduled, including appearances by Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa.

Senegal, DR Congo maintain strong qualifying runs

Senegal delivered one of Thursday's most convincing performances, defeating Sudan 4-1 at home in Dakar to strengthen their position at the top of Group J.

Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring for Patrick Vieira's side, with his Aston Villa teammate Ibrahim Mbaye also finding the net as the Teranga Lions collected another three points.

Jackson's latest goal takes his tally to 11 in 17 appearances for both club and country this season.

Senegal now have seven points, placing them three ahead of Mozambique, who will host Ethiopia on Friday.

Cameroon also continued their unbeaten campaign after overcoming Namibia 2-0 in Douala, taking their points tally to seven in Group G.

DR Congo maintained their perfect record with a 3-1 victory over Sierra Leone in Kinshasa, with Newcastle United striker Yoane Wissa getting the Leopards off the mark.

The Congolese side now lead Group E with nine points, five clear of Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea, who were unable to find a goal in their 0-0 draw.

Nigeria also received encouraging news from Group L after leaders Guinea-Bissau were held to a 1-1 draw by Madagascar in a match staged in Morocco.

The result leaves the Super Eagles four points behind Guinea-Bissau ahead of their home encounter against Tanzania on Friday at 16:00 GMT.

Tanzania are already assured of a place in the 2027 tournament as co-hosts, meaning the other three teams in the group are competing for the remaining qualification position.

In Group F, Benin boosted their chances of returning to the continental finals for a second consecutive time after recording a commanding 4-1 victory over the Central African Republic.

Gernot Rohr's Cheetahs now lead the group by three points, with Burkina Faso occupying second place ahead of their Friday meeting with Mauritania.

Guinea also kept their qualification ambitions alive after edging Eritrea 2-1 in Conakry to move level on points with South Africa at the top of Group D.

The group has only one available qualification place, making the contest between the two sides particularly important as the remaining fixtures approach.