Ghana took a significant stride towards securing their place at the 2026 World Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mali in Accra, maintaining their perfect record against the Eagles whilst dealing a potentially fatal blow to their opponents’ automatic qualification hopes.
The decisive moment arrived four minutes into the second half when Alexander Djiku found himself in the right place at the right time after some hesitant goalkeeping from Mali’s Djigui Diarra. Jordan Ayew’s inswinging corner caused chaos in the six-yard box, and when Diarra failed to claim the delivery cleanly, the loose ball deflected off Djiku’s left leg and bundled over the line amid the goalmouth scramble.
The goal proved to be the difference in what was otherwise a closely contested affair between two sides with contrasting objectives. Ghana, seeking to consolidate their position at the Group I summit, showed typical defensive resilience, whilst Mali – requiring victory to keep their own automatic qualification dreams alive – dominated possession for large periods without creating clear-cut opportunities.
Tom Saintfiet’s Eagles enjoyed their best spell during the final half-hour, pressing forward with increasing desperation as they searched for an equaliser. However, Ghana’s defence, marshalled expertly by Djiku and his centre-back partner, stood firm under sustained pressure to preserve their slender advantage.
The victory extends Ghana’s lead at the top of Group I to three points with 19 from eight matches, restoring the cushion they had briefly seen reduced following their surprise draw with Chad in September. More importantly, it maintains their perfect record against Mali, having also secured a 2-1 victory in Bamako last year.
Otto Addo’s Black Stars now require just one victory from their remaining two fixtures to guarantee consecutive World Cup appearances. Their final assignments see them travel to face Central African Republic before hosting Comoros at home – matches that, on paper at least, should present manageable challenges for the group leaders.
For Mali, this defeat represents a crushing blow to their hopes of reaching their first-ever World Cup finals. Sitting fourth in the group with 12 points from eight matches, Saintfiet’s side now face an uphill battle to secure even a play-off spot, with only the four best-ranked second-placed teams across all nine African groups earning that lifeline.
The result leaves Ghana firmly in control of their World Cup destiny, whilst Mali must now hope for a series of unlikely results elsewhere if they are to keep their historic qualification dreams alive.
Group I Table
| Position | Team | Matches Played | Points | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghana | 8 | 19 | W-D-W |
| 2 | Madagascar | 8 | 16 | W-W-W |
| 3 | Comoros | 8 | 15 | L-W-L |
| 4 | Mali | 8 | 12 | W-W-L |
| 5 | Central African Republic | 8 | 5 | L-L-L |
| 6 | Chad | 8 | 1 | D-L-L |
