GHANA EDGES MALI 1-0 IN WORLD CUP QUALIFIER

By: Isaac Amponsah (Dr Ike) and Aaron Kintoh 

Ghana secured a narrow 1-0 win over Mali in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday, September 8, 2025.

Match Highlights:

- 20' - Caleb Yirenkyi sends in a dangerous cross, but it's cleared for a corner. The Black Stars are settling into the game.

- 44' - Kudus finds Semenyo in the box, but it's just inches away from goal.

- The half-time ended goalless with both teams waiting for the match opener.

However, Alexander Djiku's decisive goal in the 49th minute, courtesy of a Jordan Ayew corner kick, proved to be the match-winner.

Historical Significance:

Ghana has a perfect record against Mali in September, winning all its games with a 1-0 scoreline in all competitions:

- September 16, 2017 (WAFU Cup) [Group A]: Venue: Cape Coast Stadium, Ghana 1-0 Mali (Winful Cobbina)

- September 8, 2025 (World Cup Qualifiers) [Group I]: Venue: Accra Sports Stadium, Ghana 1-0 Mali (Alexander Djiku)

Head-to-Head Record:
After Ghana's 1-0 win in the World Cup Qualifiers against Mali, Ghana leads with 14 wins, scoring 38 goals, while Mali has 4 wins, scoring 19 goals, and 7 games have ended in a draw since their first meeting on October 2, 1960.

Ghana's Unbeaten Record Against Mali:
The Ghana Black Stars remain unbeaten in their World Cup Qualifiers games against the Eagles of Mali, boasting a record of 3 wins and 1 draw, with 7 goals scored and 3 conceded (W3 D1 GF7 GA3). The Black Stars have consistently scored in each of their World Cup Qualifiers games against Mali, totaling 7 goals in 4 games.

Specific Matches:

- Qualification to South Africa 2010 World Cup: June 7, 2009, Venue: Stade du 26 Mars, Mali 0-2 Ghana (Kwadwo Asamoah 66', Matthew Amoah 78')

- Qualification to South Africa 2010 World Cup: November 15, 2009, Venue: Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi, Ghana 2-2 Mali (Matthew Amoah 65', Anthony Annan 84' // Lassana Fane 24', Tenema N'Diaye 69')

- Qualification to 2026 World Cup (Round 3) [Group I]: June 6, 2024, Venue: Stade du 26 Mars, Mali 1-2 Ghana (Kamory Doumbia 45' // Ernest Nuamah 58', Jordan Ayew 90+4')

- Qualification to 2026 World Cup Qualifiers (Round 8) [Group I]: September 8, 2025, Venue: Accra Sports Stadium, Ghana 1-0 Mali (Alexander Djoku)

Mali's Record on September 8:
Ghana ended Mali's unbeaten record in all competitions on September 8, dating back to 1972. Previous Mali matches on September 8 include:

- September 8, 2012 (AFCON Qualifiers): Mali 3-0 Botswana (Cheick Diabate 27' pen, Mahamadou N'Diaye 59', Modibo Maiga 77')

- September 8, 2023 (AFCON Qualifiers): Mali 4-0 South Sudan (Ibrahima Kone 10', Kamory Doumbia 29', 57', Dorgeles Nene 82')

Current Form:
The Ghana Black Stars are unbeaten in their last 6 FIFA World Cup qualifiers (W5 D1 GF16 GA5), with recent results including:

- March 24, 2025: Madagascar 0-3 Ghana
- March 21, 2025: Ghana 5-0 Chad
- June 10, 2024: Ghana 4-3 Central African Republic
- June 6, 2024: Mali 1-2 Ghana
- September 4, 2025: Chad 1-1 Ghana
- September 8, 2025: Ghana 1-0 Mali

Group I Standings:

The victory cemented Ghana's top spot in Group I with 19 points after eight matchdays, holding a three-point lead over second-placed Madagascar (16 points) and four points over third-placed Comoros (15 points). 

With this win, Ghana is in a strong position to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Ghana will play against the Central African Republic away and then play their last qualifier in Accra against Comoros between October 6-14.