2026 WCQ: Mali Dominate Comoros to Shake Up Group I, Ghana Move to Second Place

• Mali thumped Comoros 3-0 in their matchday 5 encounter at Stade Municipal de Berkane in Morocco
• The West Africa country now trail group leaders Madagascar by two points and sit just one point behind Ghana and Comoros
• They will next face Central Africa Republic at Stade El Arbi Zaouli in Casablanca, Morocco, on Monday, March 24

Mali reignited their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Comoros at Stade Municipal de Berkane in Morocco.

The win not only boosted Mali’s chances but also reshuffled Group I standings, pushing Ghana down to second place.

The Eagles took the lead in the 20th minute when Nene Dorgeles capitalised on Yves Bissouma’s assist to fire home from inside the box.

In the 55th minute, Brest midfielder Kamory Doumbia doubled the advantage with a composed finish following a setup from El Bilal Toure.

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Eight minutes later, Doumbia sealed the victory with his second goal of the night, leaving Comoros with no chance of a comeback, as reported by the BBC.

This match marked the debut of Mali’s new head coach, Tom Saintfiet, who replaced Eric Chelle after a disappointing start to the qualifiers.

Despite remaining in fourth place with eight points, Mali is now just two points behind group leaders Madagascar and one point below both Ghana and Comoros.

Ghana, currently in second place, hold an edge over Comoros due to a superior goal difference and have played one game fewer.

The Black Stars will look to reclaim the top spot when they face Chad on Friday, March 21, at Accra Sports Stadium. A win would put them back in control of their qualification hopes.

Analysing Ghana's World Cup qualifiers so far

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The Black Stars kicked off their journey with a narrow 1-0 win over Madagascar but suffered a setback four days later, losing by the same scoreline to Comoros.

However, they bounced back impressively, securing their first away victory in two years with a 2-1 triumph over Mali before edging out the Central African Republic in a thrilling 4-3 contest.

These back-to-back wins saw Ghana climb to the top of Group I with 10 points from four matches.

However, Madagascar’s emphatic 4-1 victory over the Central African Republic reshuffled the standings, pushing them to the summit and leaving Ghana in second place.

Mahama visits Black Stars

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that President John Dramani the Black Stars ahead of the 2026 FIF World Cup qualifiers.

The President, joined by the Minister of Sports and Recreation, as well as the head of Ghana's football Kurt Okraku, met the team after training on Wednesday.

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President Mahama was introduced to the team before he delivered a morale-boosting message to the players as they prepared for Chad on Friday.

Source: YEN.com.gh