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Head coach of the Ghana senior national team Chris Hughton says the team will continue to work hard to ensure they find the right way to help Inaki Williams end his goal drought with the Black Stars.

Since switching nationality to represent Ghana in June last year, the forward has featured in 11 games across all competitions but is yet to get on the scoresheet in national team colours.

However, the player has been on the scoresheet several times while playing for Athletic Bilbao, scoring five goals in 13 league games.

His form at the international level has raised questions but Hughton says they are bent on finding the ‘right formula’ for the forward to break the duck.

“This is our responsibility. At the club level, he has a rhythm and is a player who plays every game generally on the right-hand side even though he is a number nine. They have the benefit of working with him every single day and have done that for a number of years, to find the correct formula for the team to attack in the right way and attack in cohesion way and he has benefitted from that,” the gaffer told the press on Thursday.

“It’s our responsibility. Sometimes, it can click straight away. Sometimes it can take time and with Inaki, I think there is no question about his willingness to want to score or to work hard.

“We just have to continue to work hard to find the right formulas to give him the service that he needs.”

The 29-year-old will definitely be given another opportunity with Ghana hosting Madagascar in their opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at the Baba Yara Stadium on Friday, November 17.

Source: JoySports

Madagascar coach Romuald Rakotondrabe acknowledged the pivotal role played by Ghana midfielder Majeed Ashimeru in Friday’s 1-0 victory at the Baba Yara Stadium during the 2026 World Cup qualifier.

Rakotondrabe admitted that Ghana gained an advantage with the introduction of Ashimeru, who showcased an exceptional performance after coming on in the second half, replacing Iddrisu Baba.

The coach revealed, “In the first 45 minutes, we were able to challenge Ghana. In the second half, he brought Majeed Ashimeru, and that changed everything. I told the boys to stop him because he brought energy. We tried and tried [but it did not work].”

Ashimeru’s impactful presence in the midfield, characterised by his driving runs and precise passes, created significant challenges for Madagascar.

Despite Rakotondrabe’s attempts to neutralise Ashimeru’s influence, Ghana ultimately found the breakthrough in the 95th minute, courtesy of Inaki Williams’ close-range header.

The match, according to the coach, was evenly balanced, with Madagascar even holding a slight advantage until Ashimeru’s introduction. Despite the defeat, Rakotondrabe remains optimistic, highlighting the team’s ability to challenge Ghana in the first half and expressing determination for future games.

For Ashimeru, the 26-year-old midfielder, the Friday match marked his third appearance for Ghana. Despite past setbacks due to injuries, he remains resolute in contributing significantly to future games.

Click on any of the links below to watch the game. KickOff 16:00 GMT.

https://www.facebook.com/richmond.obamai/videos/755241599963555/?app=fbl

https://hesgoal-tv.io/live/13470/1125870/ghana-vs-madagascar/

Group I in the CAF World Cup qualifiers will kick off this week, with Ghana taking on Madagascar at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi on Friday evening.

The Black Stars are heavily fancied to get off to a winning start and are the pre-tournament favourites to top this group, which also features the Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros and Mali.

Match preview

Despite being one of the most decorated nations in the continent, Ghana have fallen in ranking in recent years, now in 11th place among all African nations, according to FIFA’s points system.

The Black Stars had a solid Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign over the last couple of years, winning their group with 12 points and maintaining an unbeaten record during that time.

However, since then, they have experienced a slight dip in form and come into this match following two consecutive losses against Mexico and the United States last month.

While losing to those higher-ranked opponents away from home may be excusable, the major concern for Chris Hughton will be that his side were unable to find the net even once in either of those games but let in six in that time.

Nevertheless, back on home soil here, the hosts will be full of confidence as they have an excellent home record behind them with nine consecutive wins, including a 3-0 win over this opponent back in January.

In contrast, Madagascar had a very poor AFCON qualification run as they finished at the bottom of their group with just three points and failed to win any of their six matches in the competition.

However, their performance in those qualifiers were arguably not a fair reflection of their ability, as they showed at the start of the year when they finished in a very credible third place at the CAF African Nations Championship.

Notably, Barea were drawn in the same group as the Black Stars in the Nations Championship as well and beat them in group stages, which was made up of just three teams after Morocco withdrew from the competition.

The visitors claimed a 2-1 win over Benin in a friendly last month to snap up a five-match winless streak, and while the odds are stacked against them in this match, it would not be a complete shock if they managed to sneak a result in this one.

Ghana form (all competitions):

• D
• D
• W
• W
• L
• L

Madagascar form (all competitions):

• L
• L
• D
• D
• L
• W

Team News

The Blacks Stars have brought three goalkeepers, Lawrence Ati Zigi, Jojo Wollacott and Richard Ofori, to this competition, though the former is expected to get the nod between the sticks for this first match.

Andre Ayew has been short of match time in recent months but is expected to start this match alongside Joseph Paintsil and Mohammed Kudus, while Thomas Partey should slot in as the deepest-lying midfielder.

Tsiry Tokinantenaina and Jean Yves Razafindrakoto both got on the scoresheet for Madagascar against Benin last month and should keep their places in the starting 11 for this match.

Loic Lapoussin was an unused substitute in that match but is expected to return to the attack here alongside Arnaud Randrianantenaina.

Ghana possible starting lineup:
Zigi; Seidu, N. Opoku, J. Opoku, Mensah; Partey, Owusu; Kudus, Ayew, Paintsil; Williams

Madagascar possible starting lineup:
Adrien; Rabemananjara, Ramanjary, Razafindraibeharimihanta, Fortun; Lalaina, Ilaimaharitra, Tokinantenaina, Raveloson; Randrianantenaina, Lapoussin

We say: Ghana 2-1 Madagascar

While the visitors are the clear underdogs heading into this match, it is worth noting that they are unbeaten in their last two matches against this opponent; however, both of those matches were on their home patch.

KickOff

The game will kickoff at 16:00 GMT (4pm local time).

Source: Sportsmole.co.uk

Ghana coach Chris Hughton is upbeat ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Madagascar on Friday.

The Black Stars hope to return to winning ways after defeats in their two friendlies with Mexico and the USA last September.

Ghana lost to El Tricolor 2-0 followed by a 4-0 thrashing from the United States Men’s National Team in Nashville.

Ahead of the World Cup qualifier, Hughton remains confident that they will kick-start the campaign with a good result.

“We know the demands of our Ghanaian supporters and this side has the same ambition. Our objective is to win and kick-start the campaign with confidence.

The focus is on the two games and tomorrow we have to win,” Hughton told the media.

The game will kickoff at 16:00 GMT at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

Madagascar coach Romuald Rakotondrabe is expressing confidence ahead of their clash with Ghana in the 2026 World Cup qualifier at the Baba Yara Stadium.

He made it clear that his team didn’t travel to Kumasi for holidays but have come with the aim of securing victory in the crucial match.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Rakotondrabe stated, “We didn’t come to Ghana for holidays. We came here to win the game.”

This encounter marks the first match for both sides in the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by USA, Mexico, and Canada.

Ghana and Madagascar have faced each other before, with two matches taking place in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign.

The Black Stars emerged victorious with a 3-0 win in Cape Coast, while the return leg ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

Rakotondrabe acknowledged their history against Ghana but expressed determination to secure a positive result, saying, “It’s very true that the last time we beat Ghana was in 2015, and that was a friendly. We are going to do everything possible to defeat Ghana on Friday.”

Madagascar, coming into the game with one win and one defeat in their last two matches, are eager to impress. Meanwhile, the Black Stars had a challenging October international window, suffering two defeats against Mexico and USA.

Rakotondrabe emphasised that judging Ghana based on two friendlies is not accurate, stating, “I can never judge the Black Stars based on two friendlies. Friendlies are different from qualifiers.”

Source: 3news.com

Ghana coach Chris Hughton has defended the continuous inclusion of Edmund Addo in the Black Stars squad, despite the player’s inactivity at the club level with Red Star Belgrade this season.

Addo is once again named in the squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying games against Madagascar and Comoros.

Hughton addressed the situation, stating, “With regards to Edmund Addo, he’s somebody that we like and somebody we value. We have to keep consistency in the team. There is a lot of choice, and what I can’t afford to do is bring five or six new players into the squad. We have to get the right balance.”

The coach emphasised the importance of maintaining consistency in the team and suggested that bringing in too many new players could disrupt the squad’s balance. Despite Addo’s lack of game time at the club level, Hughton values his contributions to the team and believes in the need for continuity.

Hughton also commented on defender Patric Pfeiffer, who switched from Germany last year but has yet to receive a call-up, despite performing well for German side Augsburg. The coach acknowledged the circumstances surrounding Pfeiffer and assured that they are working on addressing the situation.

The Black Stars are gearing up for their World Cup qualifying matches against Madagascar in Kumasi on Friday and Comoros in Moroni on Tuesday. Ghana’s qualification hopes for the 2026 FIFA World Cup depend on topping their qualifying group, which includes Mali, Central African Republic, and Chad.

Source: 3news.com