Ghana coach Otto Addo spoke ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Mali.
The Black Stars play the Eagles at the Stade du 26 Mars in Bamako and trained on Wednesday at the venue.
Ahead of the important clash on Thursday evening, Otto Addo admits the quality of Mali but was quick to highlight the focus of his side and the eagerness to triumph.
“We are here for Mali and need to win to guarantee our chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. They are a strong team and they showed their quality recently against Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire.
“They are ahead of us in the Fifa rankings and were unlucky at the Afcon 2023 but we also have a chance with the team that we have and we are here to win.”
Otto Addo continued: “We have our plan for this game and we know the team because most of them play in the French Ligue 1 and it’s up to us to find a way and get the points here.
“Surely I think we are ready for the game despite the short time for our preparations. We have had a week of preparations and I’m satisfied with what we have learned and done.
“Again, they are a difficult team and we know their quality, especially in midfield with players like Haidara and Doumbia but we are here to win and nothing else.”
Heading into the game, the Black Stars have three points from the group after defeating Madagascar and losing away to Comoros.
The Mali vs Ghana game is at 19:00 GMT and will be live on national television, GTV.
