Ghana coach Otto Addo has expressed confidence in his team's preparation ahead of their crucial 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Mali.

The Black Stars will face Mali on Thursday at the Stade du Mars in Bamako, with both teams seeking to improve their standings in Group I.

In a pre-match press conference, Addo acknowledged the strength of the Malian team but emphasized Ghana's readiness for the challenge.

"Surely, I think we are ready for the game. I know it’s always a short time for the preparations because players are coming from long seasons.

So we had one good week. I am very, very satisfied with how they understood me on how we want to play. Like I said it’s going to be difficult," he stated.

Ghana, currently fifth in the group with three points, aims to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat to Comoros and secure a victory to boost their World Cup qualifying hopes.

Mali, sitting in second place with four points, have shown strong form, highlighted by their recent performances against top African teams like Nigeria and Ivory Coast.

Addo praised Mali's squad, noting their high FIFA ranking and recent success. "They have a lot of young talents in their team and in the FIFA Rankings; they are above us so Mali is a great team.

It’s difficult for us to beat them but we have to try. They are one point above us, we have a good team as well but in the FIFA rankings, they are above us so this shows how good and competitive they are," he said.

He added, "They showed in the last game against Nigeria how good they are and also in the AFCON when they played against Ivory Coast they were very, very unlucky.

So for us, they are a very, very strong team but we have the possibility to still beat them. We also have a strong team and it’s going to be an equal measure."

Despite the challenge, Addo is optimistic about Ghana's strategy and preparation. "It’s difficult to say. Surely, we have a plan as regards how we want to play. We have observed them well.

Almost all the players play in Ligue 1, they are very, very strong. We have our ideas but surely, I can’t tell you what we are going to do to win this match," he remarked.

The Black Stars will aim to secure a win against Mali before facing the Central African Republic in Kumasi on Monday, June 10.