The Black Stars of Ghana took a giant step in the 2026 World Cup qualification campaign as they defeated Mali by 1-0 at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday evening.
Centre back Alexander Djiku stole the show with the match winner in the second half as the Black Stars completed a double over the Eagles of Money.
Ghana now lead the Group with 19 points and will face Central African Republic and Comoros in the last two fixtures.
The win over Mali was a collective effort though some players such as Djiku stood out. Sportsworldghana.com take a look at how the Black Stars players players performed.
-Benjamin Asare 8
Had a good outing, made some good saved and was spot on as Ghana recorded the 1-0 win over Mali
-Caleb Yirenkyi 8.5
Very solid on the right side of defense. Bumped forward a couple of times. Provided two dangerous crosses into the Malians penalty box which was all missed. He is certainly cementing his place in the team.
-Gideon Mensah 5
Another average performance by the left back. Made silly errors and committed fouls in dangerous places. It might have been a different story if the Malians were clinical
-Jonad Adjetey 4
Very poor on the day, lost the ball in dangerous. The referee was lenient on him, he committed a foul in the penalty box after losing the ball but the referee ignored.
-Alexander Djiku 9
Gradually becoming one of the leaders in the team. He has shown he has the heart for big occasions. Very resolute at the back and capped a brilliant day with the match winner.
-Mohammed Salisu 7.5
Had a good game, made some timely aerial clearances especially in the second half.
-Kwasi Sibo 8
Was a good debut for the Real Oviedo defensive midfielder considering the fact that he trained with the team for just two days. He has the potential and can get better.
Thomas Partey 8.5
Coolly controlled the tempo of the game and slowed down proceedings when the Malians wanted to increased the tempo of the game. A real gem in midfield.
-Mohammed Kudus 8
Very skilful on the ball and was able to move into the Malian half. Not bad but he could do better.
-Antoine Semenyo 5
Missed a glorious chance to put Ghana into the lead. Had a quite game. People really wonder if he is the same player who excels in the EPL every week.
-Jordan Ayew 8.5
Showed his experience with the superb corner which Djiku bundled home. Proved why he is the skipper of the team. He delivered again on a high stage.
Subs
-Joseph Paintsil 7
His exciting runs caused problems for the Malians, he was able to attack the Malians and it prevented from moving forward.
Kamaldeen Sulemana 6
Had a good chance to make it 2-0 for Ghana after being set up by fellow substitute Joseph Paintsil but ballooned the ball over the bar.
Inaki Williams 6
Replaced skipper Jordan Ayew in the 80th minute his movement was excellent but did not get the needed assistance from the other attackers.
