Ghana's Black Stars ended a three-year winless run in TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifying on Thursday, defeating Somalia 2-0 at the Sekondi Sports Stadium to breathe new life into their AFCON PAMOJA 2027 campaign.

Defender Jonas Adjetey and striker Felix Afena-Gyan were on target for caretaker coach Kim Lars Björkegren, who claimed his first competitive win in charge of the national team. The result was Ghana's first victory in AFCON qualifying since November 2023.

Penalty miss before Adjetey breaks the deadlock

The Black Stars were given an early platform when Alidu Seidu drew a foul inside the penalty area in the 13th minute, but captain Jordan Ayew squandered the resulting spot-kick, leaving the score level and heaping pressure on the hosts.

It was a costly miss for a side that had shipped six goals — a 2-0 defeat to Côte d'Ivoire and a 4-2 home loss to Gambia — in their opening two qualifiers without registering a single point.

Somalia defended with determination and kept Ghana at bay for much of the first half. The breakthrough finally arrived in first-half stoppage time, when Mohammed Salisu set up Adjetey to finish coolly in the 45+2' and send Ghana into the break with a vital lead.

Kudus return sparks second goal

Ghana doubled their advantage in the 62nd minute through Afena-Gyan, who converted a move orchestrated by Mohammed Kudus. The finish effectively ended Somalia's hopes of a comeback.

Kudus was making his first international appearance of 2026 following a lengthy absence, and he marked his return in style with the assist. The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder was one of several seasoned internationals recalled for the double-header, joining Ayew, Thomas Partey, and Mohammed Salisu in the starting lineup.

Björkegren introduced Daniel Kofi Kyereh for Ayew in the 75th minute — another notable international return after an extended spell away from the national team. Ghana saw out the match without further incident, keeping a clean sheet for the first time in this qualifying cycle.

A revival, but the work is far from done

The victory lifts Ghana to three points from three Group C matches, though the Black Stars remain third — three points adrift of leaders Côte d'Ivoire and second-placed Gambia, who faced each other later Thursday in Bouaké.

Somalia stay rooted to the bottom of the group without a point after three defeats. Ghana return to action on Monday, 16 November, when they host Somalia again in the return fixture — a match the Black Stars must win to reach six points and keep their qualification push alive.

With only three group matches remaining after Thursday's result, Ghana can afford no further slip-ups in their bid to reach the finals, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July 2027.