Ghana Black Stars 1-0 win against Mali yesterday, 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 equalize when Celestine Ecua canceled 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 widely been 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 in Tuesday Septemebr 8, he highlighted that, some players were visibly nervous due to being newbies or debutants in the senior team however, lauded their ability to swiftly blending 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 good into the game. It was, the game was even, but with a little bit of upper chances for us, so, 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 runs especially.”

Addo emphasized 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 defense 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.

Check out Ghana's squad for the Mali clash

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.