Antoine Semenyo believes Ghana's national team has the attacking quality to sustain their momentum after a commanding 5-0 demolition of Chad in last Friday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

The 25-year-old striker needed just two minutes to end his two-year international goal drought, scrambling home from close range to ignite the floodgates at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The resounding victory was sealed with goals from Inaki Williams, captain Jordan Ayew from the penalty spot, defender Mohammed Salisu, and the industrious Ernest Nuamah – all finding the net in a game where neither the prolific Mohammed Kudus nor the influential Thomas Partey was among the scorers.

The emphatic victory was a stark contrast to Ghana’s struggles in front of goal over the past year, particularly during their disastrous 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, where they failed to win any of their six matches against Angola, Benin, and Sudan.

However, Semenyo – who has been in fine form for a vibrant Bournemouth side in the English Premier League – insists Ghana’s goal-scoring woes are not down to a lack of attacking talent. Instead, he believes the key lies in positioning and supply, as he looks to carry his sharpness into the crucial encounter against Madagascar.

"I wouldn’t say I was under pressure. Every player goes through phases where they don’t score, but the pressure remains the same – to try and find the net in the next game," Semenyo said, reflecting on his first international goal since netting a late winner against Angola in March 2023.

"We really wanted to win, and obviously, we had struggled for goals in recent matches, but we have good goal scorers in the team. We just have to get them into good positions – and we did that today," he added.

While the five-goal blitz was a welcome confidence booster, Semenyo insists there is no room for complacency.

“Scoring five goals is important, but we have to shift our attention to Monday [group qualifier against Madagascar in Morocco]. It will be key to do the same again, to score as many as possible. But yes, it’s a confidence boost.”

The emphatic victory saw Ghana leapfrog Madagascar at the top of African World Cup qualifying Group I, taking a two-point lead at the halfway stage of the campaign to determine the continent’s nine representatives for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

Semenyo – who now has three goals in 26 appearances for the national team – is fully aware of the challenge ahead in the remaining five qualifiers. But the prospect of playing on the grandest stage of all is all the motivation he and his teammates need.

He acknowledges the hard work is far from over and remains focused on securing a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a feat he believes would be a defining moment in his career.

“For every player, the dream is to play at the World Cup. We know how good it feels, so we will do everything to qualify, and that starts with winning games like these,” he asserted.

“We need to win the easy games, we need to win the hard games. We did that today. On Monday, we have to do the same. In September, if we do the same, we will hopefully qualify. So it is important.”