Source: Africa Publicity
The Black Stars of Ghana secured a hard-fought and narrow victory over Mali in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
A decisive goal early in the second half by defender Alexander Djiku—capitalizing on a well-delivered corner from captain Jordan Ayew—sealed the win for Ghana at the Accra Sports Stadium. The result significantly boosts Ghana’s chances of qualifying for the tournament.
With pressure mounting ahead of the match, Coach Otto Addo and his team were under intense scrutiny from both home fans and the nation, who demanded nothing short of a win. The Stars rose to the occasion and delivered.
Mali, however, were no pushovers. They threatened several times and kept the home crowd on edge throughout the game.
Djiku’s scrappy but determined goal was a turning point, injecting belief back into the Ghanaian campaign and potentially saving Coach Addo’s job after the team’s disappointing 1–1 draw with Chad in their previous outing—where they conceded late.
Following the victory, Ghana now leads Group I with 19 points from 8 matches, having won six, drawn one, and lost one. Madagascar trails with 16 points in second place, followed by Comoros with 15, Mali with 12, the Central African Republic with 5, and Chad at the bottom with just a single point.
The final two rounds of qualifiers are scheduled for October.