2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Mali Cruise to 3-0 Victory Over Comoros Ahead of Ghana Tie

• Mali thumped Comoros 3-0 in their matchday 7 encounter at Stade Municipal de Berkane in Morocco
• The West African country now trails group leaders Ghana by four points and sits just one point behind Madagascar
• The Eagles will next face the Black Stars at Accra Sports Stadium on Monday, August 8

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Mali delivered an impressive performance on Thursday night, cruising past Comoros with a 3-0 win in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The Eagles hosted their Round 7 clash at the Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako, determined to reignite their qualification campaign with a much-needed victory.

Deploying a strong starting XI, Mali dominated the game and controlled both halves with authority.

Dorgeles Nene opened the scoring in the 28th minute to hand the hosts a slender lead at halftime.

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In the second half, Kamory Doumbia and Lassana Coulibaly struck to seal a convincing triumph for Tom Saintfiet’s men.

Watch highlights below:

With this result, Mali moves up to third in Group I on 12 points, trailing second-placed Madagascar by a single point and sitting four points adrift of leaders Ghana.

The win also builds momentum ahead of their crucial trip to Ghana for a decisive showdown with the Black Stars on September 8 at the Accra Sports Stadium.

That encounter is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the outcome of the qualification race in Group I.

Mali, now under the guidance of newly appointed coach Tom Saintfiet, continues to push for a revival in form after he replaced Eric Chelle, who has since taken charge of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Ghana, currently on 16 points, were held to a shock 1-1 draw by bottom-ranked Chad, via Flashscore.

The Black Stars had been on course to open a six-point lead at the top of Group I after Jordan Ayew’s first-half tap-in gave them the advantage.

The Black Stars will be eager to repeat their earlier success over Mali, having secured a 2-1 victory in Bamako in the reverse fixture.

Madagascar defeat Central African Republic

While Mali made light work of Comoros, Madagascar put themselves firmly in the mix for qualification.

The Malagasy side dominated the Central African Republic 2-0, signalling their intent and rendering the Group wide open.

Foot Africa reported that the Barea made the difference thanks to goals from Warren Caddy and Arnaud Randrianantenaina, climbing to second place in group I.

The match was part of the 7th round of the African qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup

Caddy opened the scoring for the Barea in the 45+2nd minute of the first half. The Central Africans tried to level before the break, but to no avail.

Returning from halftime, Arnaud Randrianantenaina netted Madagascar’s second goal in the 59th minute. The score remained unchanged until the final whistle.

Otto Addo's raises serious concerns about Chad's pitch

In an earlier report, YEN.com.gh drew attention to Otto Addo’s serious concerns about the Stade Olympique Maréchal Idriss Deby Itno ahead of Ghana’s World Cup qualifier against Chad.

The former trainer scout at Borussia Dortmund expressed shock that football authorities had approved the venue to host a game of such significance.

Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh