West Ham Stars Shine in World Cup Qualifiers: Kudus Scores, Bowen Starts

Ghana delivered a dominant performance against Madagascar in Morocco, securing a comfortable 3-0 win. Arsenal's Thomas Partey opened the scoring early and added a second before West Ham's Mohammed Kudus sealed the victory with the third goal, assisted by Jordan Ayew who provided a hat-trick of assists. This win solidifies Ghana's top position in Group I with 15 points from six matches, maintaining at least a three-point lead depending on Comoros' result. With direct qualification awarded to group winners, Ghana is well-positioned heading into the final rounds in September and October.

Meanwhile, England continued their strong start under Thomas Tuchel with a 3-0 win against Latvia. West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen started the match, playing nearly an hour. Goals came from Reece James, Harry Kane (assisted by former Hammer Declan Rice), and Eberechi Eze. The victory marks two wins from two for England in Group K, placing them firmly in control ahead of their next qualifier against Andorra in June. Only the group winner automatically qualifies for the finals.

Other Hammers were also in action: Kaelan Casey and Ollie Scarles featured for England's Elite Development Squad in a 2-2 draw with Switzerland, while goalkeeper Mason Terry continued his loan spell at AFC Hornchurch.

These matches are part of the qualifying campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted jointly by the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

In both the African (CAF) and European (UEFA) qualifiers mentioned, the team that finishes top of their group automatically qualifies for the World Cup finals. Some second-placed teams may advance to further playoff rounds.

How crucial are Kudus and Bowen to Ghana's and England's World Cup aspirations, respectively? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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