Mali is anticipating a win against Ghana for the first time in nearly a decade, following their last competitive fixture with the Black Stars on February 11, 2012, when they won 2-0 in the Africa Cup of Nations third-place playoff.

Following this, Mali coach Tom Saintfiet is bent on winning in the 2026 World Cup qualifier later this evening. The game is set for 7 pm at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Speaking during a pre-match interview  on Sunday, September 7, Tom Saintfiet mentioned he is ready to “write history” despite admitting that it wouldn’t be an easy match. He has already described the game with Ghana as one he expects a miracle from.

“Ghana is a top team in Africa. They are number one in our group, four points ahead of us, so it will be a tough match, but we are here to write history. We want to win here. We are here to try and make miracles come true. We are here to play with confidence and try to surprise the 40,000 people in the stadium,” ,” he said.

Coach Tom Saintfiet brushed aside concerns about the Accra pitch. “The pitch is for both teams. We’ll play tomorrow on any surface and show our potential,” he said confidently at a conference.

Otto Addo’s side had secured a 2-1 victory in Bamako in June 2024, before the appointment of Saintfiet.

Ghana currently sit atop of Group I with 16 points, four ahead of fourth-placed Mali and any dip by tonight on Ghana’s part puts their qualification in jeopardy.

The Black Stars still have two more matches to play after today’s match with Chad. On October 6, the squad will face the Central African Republic in an away qualifier at the Stade Barthélemy Boganda in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. They’d then return home for a home qualifier with Comoros on October 14.

Meanwhile, Mali, though inconsistent, showed their teeth in a commanding 3-0 win over Comoros last time out. Dorgeles Nene, Kamory Doumbia, and Lassana Coulibaly all found the net, reminding everyone of the Eagles’ attacking quality.

Defensively, they remain one of the stingiest in the group, conceding only four times.

Speaking ahead of the clash at a press briefing, Otto Addo expressed optimism, citing that the squad has learnt from whatever mistakes they made during the Chad game. He added that, tonight’s match being a home game, he anticipates good results, assuring fans of the team showing a “different face”.

“The whole team, everybody, was very disappointed after the draw in Chad. The expectation was high for us to win, and we were disappointed. We analysed the game very well and hope that we learned from this. I'm very, very sure we'll show another face here in front of the crowd. Yeah, surely it's easier to play at home with our spectators supporting us, pushing our last percentage out of the bodies of the players, but also to play in the evening on grass. I expect a different face of the players. I hope that we learned (sic) from the mistakes we made against Chad. The good thing is, at the end, we still have it in our own hands,” he stated.

Speaking on the competition against Mali, he minced no words, saying, “ We have to keep the pace high. It will be very, very difficult against Mali, and they're in good shape. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to tomorrow”.

Otto Addo also divulged his challenges during the game against Chad, citing restrictions. According to him, there were some tactical decisions he compromised; fielding players like Tariq and Caleb at positions that limited them from offering their full potential. The likes of Partey, who was missing from the squad, the coach explained, were under the weather and openly confused that he could not give the intensity needed for the game.

“I was a little bit restricted, to be honest. I know a lot of players were tired on the pitch. I was talking to Thomas at halftime during the match. Tell me, how do you feel? Come on. He said, I don't feel like I can bring intensity. He didn't train. He didn't eat. He had stomach problems, so I couldn't bring him. And Sulemana was injured, couldn't sprint. So, I was a little bit restricted. And just maybe to bring you also my tactical thoughts, I know that Caleb plays in midfield. I could have switched him into the midfield and Tariq Lamptey inside. But I was also worried, because I know the coach.

Thomas Partey (Villarreal), Mohammed Kudus (West Ham), Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth), Gideon Mensah (AJ Auxerre), Tariq Lamptey (Brighton), Alexander Djiku (Fenerbahçe).

Also, Real Oviedo received a late call-up for a debut appearance in the senior team, Derrick Arthur Köhn of Union Berlin has also been called for the first time, and Joseph Paintsil has made a return following an injury sideline as well. Ireland-based goalkeeper, Anang, has been added to the mix.