Jordan Ayew hat-trick gives Ghana victory over Central African Republic in World Cup qualifier

Jordan Ayew scored a hat-trick in either half as Ghana beat Central African Republic on Matchday 4 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The win takes Ghana to 9 points following three victories and one loss in four rounds of matches. Jordan Ayew put Ghana ahead with an early penalty after Abdul Fatawu Issahaku was fouled in the box inside six minutes. Ayew drilled home the opener but the Black Stars trailed 2-1 at the break after Louis Mafouta took advantage of two defensive errors to temporarily silence the home crowd.

Mafouta first scored in the 11th minute before going past Gideon Mensah for his second goal in the 41st minute.

Back from recess, Ghana took control of the game and pressed for the equalizer as Kamal Deen Sulemana and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku swapped positions on the wings. The pressure paid off in the 60th minute when Jordan Ayew equalised with a powerful header from Gideon Mensah's cross. Abdul Fatawu Issahaku restored Ghana's lead with a well-placed strike that beat goalkeeper Flory Yangao for the third goal.

The Black Stars added to the tally in the 69th minute when Jordan Ayew completed his hat-trick to put Ghana 4-2 up.

But Central African Republic mounted pressure and scored the third goal through Louis Moufata in the 90th minute but it wasn’t enough as Ghana held on to win the contest.

The win takes Ghana to the top of Group I with 9 points as they await the results of the other matches on Wednesday, June 11, 2024 to confirm their position in the standings. The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers will resume in March 2025.

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