The Ghana Black Stars were held to a 1-1 draw by Chad in their Matchday 7 fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Thursday at the Stade Olympique Maréchal Idriss Déby Itno in N’Djamena.
Coach Otto Addo fielded a largely unfamiliar lineup, with Benjamin Asare keeping his place in goal, Abdul Salis Samed returning to midfield, and Caleb Yirenkyi and Jonas Adjetey making their first starts for the national team.
Ghana started brightly, dominating the first half, and broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when Jordan Ayew converted a cross from Mohammed Kudus. Despite sustained pressure, Chad’s late first-half free kick failed to score.
The second half saw both teams share possession, with Ghana creating several chances. Kudus attempted to link up with Antoine Semenyo in the 18-yard box and later curled a shot wide, but both opportunities went unfulfilled.
In the 76th minute, Semenyo and Inaki Williams were replaced by Christopher Bonsu Baah and Kamaldeen Sulemana. Sulemana came close to scoring, only for his strike to be saved. Chad increased pressure and almost capitalized on a defensive lapse by Gideon Mensah in the 82nd minute, but Asare made a crucial save.
Chad eventually equalized in the 88th minute through Celestije Ecua, snatching a 1-1 draw. Despite dropping points, Ghana remain top of Group I with 16 points.
The Black Stars are set to return to Accra tonight ahead of their Matchday 8 clash against Mali on Monday at the Accra Sports Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 GMT.
