Five talking points from Ghana v Chad

There was really no margin for error on Friday night as fans came out in full voices, reveling in the stands as Ghana hit Chad for five.

Chad could only look on and delay restart as much as they could because anytime the Black Stars attacked, they looked threatening.

Goals from Antoine Semenyo, Inaki Williams, Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Salisu and Ernest Nuamah sealed an emphatic win.

3Sports takes a look at five talking points from the victory.

Partey marks 50th appearance in style

Thomas Partey was an unsung hero in Ghana’s win. The Arsenal man may not get a lot of plaudits like his teammates who got on the scoresheet, but the flow of the game was at his mercy.

Partey dictated play from deep and ensured Ghana were constantly on the front foot.

Although having been away from the team since September 2024, he seamlessly slotted back in.

On his 50th appearance, the experienced midfielder failed to add to his 12 Black Stars goals or his five assists but it was a performance worth noting.

Benjamin Asare drowns out the noise with a cleansheet 

Sceptical watchers were turned to believers.

At 32, Benjamin Asare made his Black Stars debut and hardly broke a sweat.

Asare saw little of the ball as majority to virtually all the game was played in Chad’s half.

But when Chad managed to break the Black Stars’ defensive lines via set pieces or quick play, he was well-positioned to gather.

The Hearts of Oak goalkeeper has 12 cleansheets in the Ghana Premier League and added a first on his maiden Black Stars appearance.

Although he may get limited opportunities going forward, this is a moment which will linger long in his memory.

 

Otto remains undefeated in World Cup qualifiers

Five World Cup qualifying games for Otto, three wins and two draws. The 49-year-old masterminded his biggest victory of yet as Ghana coach.

He may have been very clear in his pre match conference, saying away from talks of being a World Cup qualifying expert but his performances in the competition and on Friday night says otherwise.

His tactical setup (4-1-4-1) paid dividends as Ghana outplayed Chad, beating them comprehensively in the process.

Otto Addo has now led Ghana to three wins in the ongoing World Cup qualifiers, after beating Mali, Central African Republic and Chad.

Ghana are top of Group I, two points clear of second-placed Madagascar, who they face on Monday.

Otto may have alleviated some burden off his shoulder with the win.

 

Ghana record biggest win since 2020

The last time the Black Stars hit five goals against any opponent in any competition was five years ago.

Ghana beat Qatar 5-1 in 2020 and have since not gone close to recording such a win.

On Saturday, Semenyo set the ball rolling before Inaki Williams, Jordan Ayew and Ernest Nuamah got in on the act.

The win is a positive indication of what is to come, but the scoreline makes it even better.

 

Ghana maintain unbeaten World Cup qualifying home record

The Black Stars’ 24-year unbeaten home run at the Baba Yara Stadium was curtailed in November when Angola nicked a 1-0 win.

Ghana, however, preserved their unbeaten home record in World Cup qualifiers.

Ghana’s last home defeat in the competition was 24 years ago. Since then, the Black Stars have win 22 out of the 29 games played and drawn seven.

In that time, Ghana have scored 59 goals and conceded 13. And after the display against Chad, the record may take aeons before it can be altered.

Honorable mention: Ghana picked up a first win in seven games – against first in 9 months.

The post Five talking points from Ghana v Chad first appeared on 3News.

Read Full Story