AfricaFootballNews

2026 World Cup Qualifiers:Chris Hughton guides the Black Stars to a narrow win against Madagascar in Kumasi

By Emmanuel Austin Baah
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Chris Hughton leads Ghana to beat Madagascar to make a winning start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Ghana head coach Chris Hughton can afford to breathe for a while after leading the Black Stars to beat Madagascar on Friday evening to make a winning start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The Irish-Ghanaian tactician has been under pressure since Ghana lost to Mexico and the USA in the October international break.

A couple of weeks before the game today, local reports suggested that the Ghana Football Association (GFA) was making plans to sack coach Chris Hughton.

Despite the pressure on his shoulder, Coach Chris Hughton has remained calm and was focused on getting the job done in the game against Madagascar today.

In a game played at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, the Black Stars struggled to compete in the first half but thanks to changes made by Coach Chris Hughton in the second half, Inaki Williams scored late to seal a narrow 1-0 win for Ghana.

The winning start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers takes off some pressure from Chris Hughton although his Black Stars need to improve going into the remaining games.

Author

  • My name is Emmanuel Austin Baah, professionally known as “Okocha”. I am a seasoned Ghanaian journalist, broadcaster and football commentator from Senya Bereku in the Central Region. My work reflects a strong commitment to factual reporting, ethical journalism and the continuous promotion of Ghanaian sports.

    I am currently pursuing my studies at Cape Coast Technical University, building on a solid foundation of media practice and communication. I previously served as a sports producer at Radio Gold (90.5) and Montie FM (100.1) in Accra, where I was actively involved in editorial planning, programme production, live commentary and in-depth sports analysis.

    Presently, I am a Senior Writer at SportsNetGhana.com, a role in which I produce well-researched features, match reports, athlete profiles and analytical pieces. My work consistently highlights emerging talents, captures key sporting developments and contributes to shaping informed sports discourse in Ghana.

    Over the course of my career, I have covered numerous major sporting events both locally and internationally. Among these, the highlight remains my coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, a significant milestone that strengthened my expertise in global football reporting and enhanced my understanding of international sports dynamics.

    I am widely recognised for my clarity of analysis, engaging commentary style and strong command of both local and global football trends. Beyond the newsroom, I participate in community initiatives aimed at developing young sports journalists and promoting youth engagement in sports.

    For professional engagements, media collaborations or enquiries, please contact me on 0265284330.

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Emmanuel Austin Baah 1201 posts 1 comments

My name is Emmanuel Austin Baah, professionally known as “Okocha”. I am a seasoned Ghanaian journalist, broadcaster and football commentator from Senya Bereku in the Central Region. My work reflects a strong commitment to factual reporting, ethical journalism and the continuous promotion of Ghanaian sports.

I am currently pursuing my studies at Cape Coast Technical University, building on a solid foundation of media practice and communication. I previously served as a sports producer at Radio Gold (90.5) and Montie FM (100.1) in Accra, where I was actively involved in editorial planning, programme production, live commentary and in-depth sports analysis.

Presently, I am a Senior Writer at SportsNetGhana.com, a role in which I produce well-researched features, match reports, athlete profiles and analytical pieces. My work consistently highlights emerging talents, captures key sporting developments and contributes to shaping informed sports discourse in Ghana.

Over the course of my career, I have covered numerous major sporting events both locally and internationally. Among these, the highlight remains my coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, a significant milestone that strengthened my expertise in global football reporting and enhanced my understanding of international sports dynamics.

I am widely recognised for my clarity of analysis, engaging commentary style and strong command of both local and global football trends. Beyond the newsroom, I participate in community initiatives aimed at developing young sports journalists and promoting youth engagement in sports.

For professional engagements, media collaborations or enquiries, please contact me on 0265284330.

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