Otto Addo demands more cutting edge after Ghana’s narrow win over Mali

Ghana head coach Otto Addo has urged his players to sharpen their finishing after the Black Stars edged Mali 1-0 in Monday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Despite dominating stretches of the game, Ghana squandered several opportunities to kill off the contest. Antoine Semenyo missed a golden first-half chance before Alexander Djiku scrambled home the decisive goal four minutes after the restart.

The Black Stars, however, continued to falter in the final third. Kamaldeen Sulemana opted against squaring to Inaki Williams in a promising break, while Joseph Paintsil also failed to pick out the Athletic Bilbao striker in space during another attack. The wasted chances invited late pressure as Mali pushed for an equaliser.

Addo admitted his side’s decision-making must improve:

“It’s normal as a footballer to look for the perfect solution, but sometimes you don’t need it,” he said. “Sometimes you just rip the ball in, even if it’s one against three. The defender might score an own goal, you might hit the player, or you can win the second ball. We need to improve on that, for sure.”

While praising the resilience that secured three vital points, Addo stressed that clinical finishing will be decisive in the remaining qualifiers.

Ghana, who top Group I with 19 points, will face the Central African Republic in October knowing that victory would virtually seal their place at the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.