Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the World Cup qualifying match.
The squads are at opposite ends of the standings: the hosts have nothing left to play for, while the visitors lead the group and are firmly on course for the World Cup. For Chad the priority is to avoid defeat at home, whereas for Ghana this match is a chance to consolidate top spot and collect points with limited risk.
Chad
Chad are enduring a disastrous cycle: six straight defeats and bottom of the group without a point. There is chaos in their structure: they have scored just once and conceded 15. Their last competitive match in March against Comoros ended in a narrow 1:0 defeat, which can be viewed as a rare attempt to defend in an organised manner. However, the wider problems are numerous: the team failed to score in five of the six fixtures. Experienced forwards Marius Mouandilmadji and captain Ezechiel N'Douassel are trying to carry the attack, but without support in midfield from Abderamane Ahmat this brings no end product. Chad are conceding 2.5 per game, and changing this trend will be extremely difficult.
Ghana
Ghana confidently lead the group with 15 points from a possible 18. In the last round they thrashed Madagascar (3:0), with Thomas Partey scoring twice and Mohammed Kudus adding the third, while Jordan Ayew provided all three assists. Ghana have found balance: a powerful attack with 15 goals in six matches and a reliable defence with five conceded. The leaders are available, and the Mohammed Kudus–Thomas Partey–Jordan Ayew triangle stands out as the main weapon for the visitors.
Chad vs Ghana Prediction
The gulf in quality is too great. Ghana play at a tempo and with a style that Chad cannot match, and they should record another comfortable, emphatic win. Even if the hosts sit deep, the visiting attack featuring Mohammed Kudus, Thomas Partey and Jordan Ayew should create enough. The expectation is that Ghana will again score at least three, while the hosts are unlikely to trouble the defence in any meaningful way.
