Ghana’s Black Stars gave new coach Goran Stevanovic a winning start with a 4-1 victory over Togo in a friendly played in Belgium on Tuesday.
Striker Dominic Adiyiah gave Ghana a 1-0 lead in the first half but Komlan Amewou equalised for Togo through a penalty three minutes into the second half.
Jonathan Mensah restored the Black Stars’ lead before an own goal from Togo defender Serge Akpakpo and a late strike from Samuel Inkoom sealed the win.
“I am happy with the result but more pleased with the way my team played,” Stevanovic told the Ghanaian FA’s website. “Scoring four goals was a good result.”
It was the Serb’s first game in charge of the Black Stars since his appointment last month.
Elsewhere, Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba returned to the Elephants squad as they beat Mali by a lone goal.
The Chelsea striker was involved in Didier Ya Konan’s first international goal after just three minutes, which was enough to secure victory in the game played in Valence, France.
In Drogba’s first international since the Ivory Coast’s World Cup elimination, he chested a long ball into the path of Gervinho, whose cross from the right was slammed high into the net by Ya Konan.
Ya Konan earned his starting place after an impressive tally of 10 goals in 19 Bundesliga games, lining up alongside Gervinho with both behind Drogba in an attacking formation.
Mali squandered a second-half penalty before Ya Konan was one of two players who left the pitch on a stretcher as a result of some violent tackling.
The game was briefly stopped 12 minutes from the end when a fight broke out among the players, before being brought to a close two minutes early as the lights went out at the stadium.
Another coach with a winning start was Henri Michel whose Equatorial Guinea beat Chad 2-0 in the Frenchman’s first game in charge since being appointed in December.
Daniel Ekedo opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 52 minutes in Malabo, before a 74th-minute own goal from Maigue Abbas wrapped up the scoring.
Equatorial Guinea will co-host the 2012 Nations Cup along with Gabon.
