Mali head coach Tom Saintfiet remains sceptical about the legitimacy of Ghana’s goal in their 1-0 victory over Mali in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The clash, which came off on Monday, September 8, saw Ghana gain three points more to solidify their position as leaders of Group I.

However, Mali remains unsettled about the authenticity of the goal, which was notched a header in the 49th minute, just a few minutes into the second half. Following the clash, Mali’s Tom confirmed in a post-match conference that his players mentioned the goal was supposed to have been considered a foul.

While acknowledging that he didn’t see the basis on which his players were making those assertions, they told him that, “In the second half, our plan, like I said, was step by step building up the pressure, and then we conceded the goal much too early. I have to see it again. According to the people around me, the players, it happened after a fault just before the corner.

“Mohamed Kamara gets pushed, that’s what they say. I didn’t see it. And then, with the corner, I hear that my goalkeeper also got pushed. But again, I didn’t see it. That went too fast for me, and I didn’t see any TV coverage. So I don’t want to make any excuses for some things that happened,” he noted.

In a recent interview with Adom TV’s "Fire for Fire" program, “Had VAR been used, Alexander Djiku’s goal would have been ruled out”.

Tom anticipated a win against Ghana, stating during a conference that he intends to write history, but unfortunately, his hopes were dashed after his side’s 0-1 loss against the Black Stars. Despite this, he is optimistic about Mali’s qualification for the global tournament next year. Despite the setback, Mali’s World Cup ambitions remain alive, with playoff spots still within reach.

“Qualifying for the 2026 World Cup will be tough, but we will fight to win our remaining games,” he said.

Ghana Black Stars 1-0 win against Mali pushes them closer to a seat at the international football tournament, 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Ghana’s win was a comeback from their disappointing draw with Chad on September 4, in an away match hosted at N'Djamena. Jordan excited fans when he notched the opener in the 17th minute following an assist from Mohammed Kudus. Chad, however, managed to equalise when Celestine Ecua cancelled out Jordan Ayew’s opener.

In yesterday’s match, Alexander Djiku’s second-half strike cemented Ghana’s position at the top of Group I with 19 points.

Ahead of the clash with Mali, Otto Addo expressed optimism about the team's victory, however, admitting that it will not be easy.

His hopes were, however, not crushed; Black Stars made him proud with their narrow win. Their victory has been widely commended as fans are already excited about the team’s looming qualification for the World Cup.

However, Otto Addo has issued a warning to both fans and players not to be complacent, citing the need to respect each opponent.

“Everybody was talking before the Chad game that we had already won. It’s dangerous. We are not at the World Cup yet,” Addo said after the game.“We have a lot of work to do, and every opponent must be respected,” he added.

Speaking during a post-match conference at the Accra Sports Stadium on Tuesday, September 8, he highlighted that some players were visibly nervous due to being newbies or debutants in the senior team; however, he lauded their ability to swiftly blend in after he first half. The former Dortmund coach described the first half of the match as a “deserved draw”.

“Yeah, some problems, I think, yeah, you could see that we have a young squad and players who haven't been playing often for the national team so far, and we were a little bit nervous here and there, but after 50 minutes I think we got into the game. The game was even, but with a little bit of upper chances for us, but it was a, I think, yeah, it was a deserved draw to halftime, and then we, we increased the pressure early in the second half, we managed to score out of a set piece.”

He went on to applaud Antoine Smeneyyo for his relentless speed, which held the squad together against their opponents despite the pressure from Mali in the last minutes of the game.

He said, “He fought until he couldn’t run anymore… I was very satisfied with his performance and with his run,s especially.”

Addo emphasised the intensity of the final stages, saying, “It stayed really, really hot till the last minute and Mali was putting pressure on us, but not really creating chances—just high balls and long shots.” He credited the defence for their resilience and fight, expressing satisfaction with how they held firm under pressure.

He also touched on Ghana’s decision-making in the final third, urging his players to be more direct: “Sometimes you don’t need the perfect solution,just rip the ball in. Even if it’s one against three, something can happen.”

With just two games left, Ghana needs only one more win to confirm their place at next year’s tournament. However, Addo cautioned against complacency despite the team’s progress.

The Black Stars will travel to face the Central African Republic in their next fixture before concluding their qualifying campaign with a home clash against Comoros in October.

Ahead of the Mali clash, their coach, Tom Saintfiet, expressed his optimism about winning.

Mali were 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, where they won 2-0 in the Africa Cup of Nations third-place playoff.

Following this, Mali coach Tom Saintfiet mentioned that they are 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.