Matchday 7 of the CAF World Cup qualifiers delivered a dramatic twist in Group I as Ghana were held to a 1–1 draw by bottom-placed Chad, while Madagascar surged back into contention with a convincing win over the Central African Republic.
At the Stade Olympique in N’Djamena, Ghana looked poised to extend their lead atop Group I when Jordan Ayew opened the scoring in the 17th minute, finishing off a well-worked move initiated by Mohammed Kudus. The Black Stars dominated possession and created several chances, but failed to convert their superiority into a second goal.
Chad, winless in their previous six qualifiers, stunned the visitors with a late equalizer in the 89th minute. Célestin Ecua latched onto a cross from Emmanuel Mbangossoum to score his side’s first goal of the campaign and secure their first point in the group.
The result leaves Ghana on 16 points, still top of Group I, but now under pressure from Comoros and Madagascar. The latter secured a crucial 2–0 victory over the Central African Republic in Casablanca, keeping their qualification hopes alive.
Elsewhere in the qualifiers:
– Libya edged Angola 1–0 in Luanda, tightening their grip on Group D.
– Cape Verde cruised past Mauritius 2–0 away from home, strengthening their playoff chances.
– Equatorial Guinea survived a scare to beat São Tomé and Príncipe 3–2 in a five-goal thriller in Morocco.
– Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone played out a 1–1 draw, leaving both sides with work to do in Group B.
With three matchdays remaining, the race for Africa’s ten World Cup spots is heating up. Ghana will next face Mali on September 8 in a high-stakes clash that could define the group’s trajectory.
