Ghana Tighten Hold on Group I After Victory Against Mali | OneFootball

Djiku strike seals vital win as Aliou Dieng’s Mali suffer setback in qualifiers

Ghana Tighten Hold on Group I After Victory Against Mali

The Black Stars of Ghana took huge step toward securing their place at the 2026 FIFA World cup after defeating Mali 1 - 0 at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday evening.

Djiku the Hero

Defender Alexander Djiku scored the decisive goal in 49 minute converting Jordan Ayew corner with clever finish that broke Mali’s impressive defensive run.

The strike marked Djiku’s first international goal and proved enough to seal all 3 points.

Aliou Dieng Leads Mali in Defeat

Mali’s starting lineup featured Aliou Dieng, the Al Ahly midfielder and captain on the night. Despite his efforts, the Eagles struggled to create clear chances against resilient Ghana defense marshalled by Lawrence Ati Zigi.

Group I Standings

The victory pushed Ghana to 19 point, 3 clear of Madagascar in 2nd place with only 2 game left. Mali who had been unbeaten in 8 match before this clash, remain stuck on 12 point in 4th position.

Qualification Picture

Ghana now need just few more points from their final fixtures against Central African Republic & Chad to confirm automatic qualification.

Mali’s defeat, meanwhile dents their hopes of reaching North America 2026, with Comoros & Madagascar also in the playoff race.

Upcoming Fixtures

With this win .. Ghana underline their strong home form while Mali face the challenge of regrouping quickly to keep their World cup dream alive.