Otto Addo, head coach of the Black Stars, thinks Ghana has talented players who can defeat Mali on Thursday, June 6, at 19:00 GMT in Bamako.

Ghana plays Mali in the first of the Black Stars’ two Group I 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. After defeating Chad 1-0 on June 5, the Central African Republic (CAR) will take on Ghana on Sunday, June 10, at Baba Yara Stadium.

During the pre-match press conference, Addo emphasized the significance of winning the match and stated that Ghana has talented players who can defeat Mali in Mali.

“Surely I think we are ready for the game. This is going to be a tough match away in Mali but we also have the quality to compete against them although we didn’t have a good AFCON.”

Ghana failed to advance from the group stage of the 2023 AFCON and did so without a victory under former Black Stars head coach Chris Houghton.

In international friendlies after Addo’s appointment, the Black Stars have tied 2-2 with Uganda and lost 2-0 to Nigeria.