West African giants Ghana head into match-day nine of the CAF 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers away at the Central African Republic, hoping to secure a win to seal their spot in next year’s showpiece event.
Ayomide Oguntimehin gives the detailed prediction and betting odds of the October 8th encounter.
Central African Republic vs Ghana Match Preview
The Central African Republic head into their clash against Ghana with no hopes of qualification, having already been eliminated from the qualifiers. They have endured a poor qualifying campaign and their wait for a first-ever appearance at the World Cup continues.
Les Fauves have accrued only points from eight matches so far in Group I and are 14 points behind the Black Stars in first place. Their only win in the series so far came on match-day three, when they secured a 1-0 win over Chad.
🔥 Legends in the house! 🏡
🫡 Stephen Appiah & Asamoah Gyan linked up with the #BlackStars at training. 💪🏾@ASAMOAH_GYAN3 | @StephenAppiah pic.twitter.com/o5jXq5WWZZ
— 🇬🇭 Black Stars (@GhanaBlackstars) October 6, 2025
Ghana, meanwhile, are on course for a second consecutive appearance and a fifth overall appearance at the FIFA World Cup. They head into the match-day encounter, knowing that a victory and favourable results in other group matches will seal their spot at the 2026 tournament.
The Black Stars have enjoyed an impressive qualifying campaign, winning six of their eight games so far. They only failed to secure maximum points in two matches, a 1-0 defeat to the Comoros on match-day two and a 1-1 draw against Chad during the September international break.
Central African Republic vs Ghana Head-to-Head Record
- 10.06.2024 – Ghana 4-3 Central African Republic
- 07.09.2023 – Ghana 2-1 Central African Republic
- 05.06.2022 – Central African Republic 1-1 Ghana
Ghana have dominated previous meetings, winning two of the three matches between both countries.
Recent Form: Central African Republic
Central African Republic are on a poor run of form and have lost five of their last six matches in all competitions.
They have only won one of their last 11 in all competitions, a 2-0 victory over Madagascar in an international friendly match in June.
Les Fauves have conceded 17 goals in eight group matches, the second-worst record in Group I and only kept two clean sheets during this period.
Recent Form: Ghana
Ghana are one of the most in-form African teams at the moment, with four wins from their last six games in all competitions. They have only lost once in qualifying and have won five of their last six in the series.
The Black Stars have scored 17 goals, the best record in the group and the third-best record in the entire CAF qualifying series, only behind Morocco (21) and Algeria (19).
Player to Watch: Antoine Semenyo (Ghana)
Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo heads into the encounter in fine form, with six goals from seven league matches this season.
The 25-year-old is a constant threat on the ball with his pace and sharp finishing, and he is expected to lead Ghana’s attack against the Central African Republic.
Semenyo, Amorim held talks hoping to lure him away from Bournemouth
Betting odds
Over 1.5 Goals – 1.30 (via 1xBet)
Prediction
This fixture has a history of producing multiple goals, with three previous matches producing a total of 12 goals. Given Ghana’s attacking firepower and Central African Republic’s shaky defence, this clash is likely to also produce many goals.
