Mohammed Kudus set a prestigious Ghanaian record on Monday by becoming the first player to score a brace in a Fifa World Cup game.
The 22-year-old midfielder helped the Black Stars breathe fresh life into their campaign at Qatar 2022 with his brace as they edged out South Korea in a pulsating 3-2 match at Education City Stadium.
Heading into their second game in Group H, Ghana had a total of 15 goals in World Cup history with no player scoring more than one in a match.
Centre-back Mohammed Salisu poked home from a Jordan Ayew free-kick to give the Black Stars the lead in the 24th minute.
1 – Mohammed Salisu has become the first defender to score for Ghana in World Cup history. New. pic.twitter.com/UutAfwpRXe
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) November 28, 2022
Then 10 minutes later, Kudus made his first of three Ghanaian and African football history on the day with a glancing header from another Jordan Ayew cross which gave the Stars a 2-0 half-time lead.
The first made Kudus the second youngest African scorer at the Mundial after Nigeria’s Ahmed Musa.
South Korea, however, levelled the score in the space of three minutes around the hour mark thanks to a double from Cho Guesung.
But Kudus struck again to make it 3-2 for Ghana with a composed finish midway through the second half.
As a result, the Ajax star became the first Ghana player to score two goals in a World Cup match. In addition, he also became the second youngest African player to score twice in the competition.
2 – At 22 years and 118 days old, Mohammed Kudus is the second youngest African player to score two goals in a World Cup match, after Ahmed Musa (21y 254d) for Nigeria against Argentina in 2014. Kudos. pic.twitter.com/4xkKDkJQLH
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 28, 2022
The Black Stars held on for their first World Cup victory since reaching the quarterfinals in 2010. This sets up a tense final group game on Friday, December 2 against Uruguay, the team that knocked them out in controversial fashion 12 years ago.
Ghana’s World Cup fate is now in their own hands – a win or a draw at Al Janoub Stadium will see coach Otto Addo’s side sail through to the last 16. Kickoff is at 15:00 GMT.
