West Ham United forwards Mohammed Kudus and Michail Antonio both enjoyed success on the international stage on Thursday night.
The duo were both involved in victories in qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, as Ghana and Jamaica defeated Mali and Dominician Republic respectively.
After registering a win and a loss in their opening two qualifiers in the African section, Kudus and Ghana needed a victory to overhaul Mali in Group I – and they left it late to secure the points.
It was Mali who opened the scoring in Bamako, as Kamory Doumbia struck right on half-time, but Ghana came roaring back after the break.
First, Ernest Nuamah – a product of the same Right to Dream academy as Kudus – levelled on 58 minutes, before Crystal Palace striker Jordan Ayew completed the comeback in stoppage time.
Kudus played 88 minutes as Ghana moved up to second place in the standings, with three games of the ten match campaign now complete.
Antonio’s Jamaica, meanwhile, were kicking-off their qualifying fixtures with a home tie against Dominican Republic.
The Hammers forward started in Kingston, and the Reggae Boyz claimed all three points thanks to Shamar Nicholson’s 17th minute strike.
That goal proved enough for victory, as Jamaica began the second round of CONCACAF’s three-stage qualifying process in the perfect fashion.
The top two teams in each pool progress to that stage, with a place in the finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico the ultimate prize.
