Ghana defender Mohammed Salisu endured a difficult night, but his side Monaco still managed to grind out a 2-1 win over Auxerre on Saturday.
The centre-back was unfortunate to turn the ball into his own net in the second half, a mistake that nearly cost Monaco the match.
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However, the visitors rallied and snatched victory late on when George Ilenikhena, introduced in the 78th minute, converted a Vanderson cross in the 89th minute to secure all three points, per Supersport.
The result lifted Monaco into the Ligue 1 top three ahead of their Champions League opener away to Club Brugge on Thursday.
Takumi Minamino had earlier opened the scoring in first-half added time, finishing off a swift counterattack to give the visitors a narrow lead going into the break.
The clash was scrappy throughout, with referee Romain Lissorgue brandishing nine yellow cards in total, six for Monaco and three for Auxerre.
Josue Casimir was dismissed after receiving a second booking in the 68th minute, leaving the hosts with ten men.
Despite the setback, Auxerre drew level five minutes later when Salisu’s own goal cancelled out Minamino’s strike.
Danny Namaso drilled a low cross into the danger zone, and it hit the Ghanaian defender, who was powerless to prevent it from rattling off his ankles and into the back of the net.
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Auxerre’s Ghanaian forward Ibrahim Osman came close late on but was denied by the Monaco goalkeeper, as the hosts slipped to a third straight league defeat for the first time since September 2024.
Meanwhile, Monaco celebrated back-to-back wins to draw level with PSG and Lyon on nine points at the top of Ligue 1.
Salisu’s compatriot, Gideon Mensah, featured for the full 90 minutes for Auxerre.
The dup were part of Ghana’s World Cup qualifiers against Mali and Chad.
Salisu has voiced his delight after Ghana boosted their World Cup qualification hopes with a gritty 1-0 win over Mali.
The AS Monaco centre-back, who missed the trip to Chad in N’Djamena, returned to the starting XI in Bamako, lining up in Otto Addo’s three-man defence alongside Alexander Djiku and Jonas Adjetey.
Salisu delivered a commanding performance at the back and also posed a threat from set pieces with his aerial presence.
The Black Stars now need just four points from their remaining two fixtures to book their place at the 2026 World Cup.
Sharing his excitement after the game, Salisu posted on Instagram:
“Getting closer. Let’s keep going.”
Four-time African champions and four-time World Cup participants, Ghana will conclude their qualifying campaign next month with clashes against the Central African Republic and Comoros.
The victory over Mali means Ghana sit top of Group I on 19 points, ahead of Madagascar (16) and Comoros (15). Despite their strong World Cup form, the Black Stars will be absent from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, having failed to qualify for the continental tournament.
Source: YEN.com.gh
Source: Yen.com.gh
