Mohammed Kudus was on target as Ghana scored an important 3-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying win over Madagascar on Monday.
The Black Stars stretched their lead at the top of African qualifying Group I to five points with a comfortable victory at the Grand Stade Al-Hoceima in Morocco.
West Ham United attacking midfielder Kudus struck Ghana’s third goal after Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey had netted twice, with Leicester City forward Jordan Ayew providing a hat-trick of assists.
Kudus’s 12th international goal helped Otto Addo’s resurgent side make it five wins and 15 points from six Group I qualifiers, five more than Madagascar in second place. However, Comoros could cut that gap to three if they defeat bottom side Chad on Tuesday evening.
Two more rounds of two qualifiers will take place in September and October, with the top finishers in the six-nation group qualifying directly to next summer’s World Cup finals in North America.
Having failed to qualify for the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations, reaching the World Cup would provide Kudus and his compatriots with a major boost.
Elsewhere, Jarrod Bowen won his 16th cap for England and made his sixth start for his country in a 3-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying Group K win over Latvia at Wembley.
The West Ham captain played for just short of an hour in London, where Chelsea’s Reece James curled Thomas Tuchel’s team in front before half-time with a fine free-kick.
After Bowen’s departure, Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane converted the second from former Hammer Declan Rice’s cross before Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze, who had replaced Bowen, cut inside and netted the third.
England’s win made it two from two in Group K, following Friday’s 2-0 home win over Albania that kicked-off Tuchel’s spell in charge.
The Three Lions travel to Andorra for their next qualifier in June, with Serbia being the fifth nation in the group, the winners of which qualify automatically for the finals.
At age-group level, Kaelan Casey started and Ollie Scarles was introduced as a second-half substitute as England’s Elite Development Squad (ELS) scored a last-minute leveller to draw 2-2 with Switzerland at the Marbella Football Centre in Spain.
Casey made his eighth appearance for his country at U20 level, while Scarles replaced Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly with 22 minutes to play for his second ELS cap.
By then, former Hammer Divin Mubama had opened the scoring for England. However, Switzerland scored two goals in quick succession inside the final 20 minutes, only for another substitute, Sheffield United’s Sydie Peck, to net an equaliser late on.
Away from international football, Mason Terry produced another heroic display for AFC Hornchurch in National League South on Saturday afternoon, only to be beaten by a last-gasp strike by St Albans City's Shaun Jeffers, who snatched a 1-1 draw for his side.
The goalkeeper, who recently signed a new contract with the Hammers, will hope for better fortune when the Urchins host Worthing on Tuesday evening. The Essex side sit 13th in the 24-team table, safe from relegation but too far adrift of the promotion play-off places to go up for the second season in succession.
