After Ghana’s 1-0 win against Mali, coach Otto Addo urged improved sharpness in the final third during the World Cup qualifier.
Black Stars made chances but were wasteful in attack. Antoine Semenyo missed an opportunity to put Ghana ahead late in the first half, before Alexander Djiku scored a messy goal in the 49th minute.
Kamaldeen Sulemana could have passed to Inaki Williams, but he didn’t after the goal, missing a good chance. Joseph Paintsil was also at fault, choosing to pass to Sulemana rather than Williams during another attack, where the Athletic Bilbao forward was open. Ghana’s mistakes opened them up, and Mali pressed for a tying goal at the end.
Afterwards, Otto Addo admitted his team needs better decision-making in the final third.
“If you’ve played before, you know that sometimes there’s a little bounce from the ball or the position is tight and you think too much,” Addo said. “It’s normal as a footballer to look for the perfect solution, but sometimes you don’t need it. Sometimes you 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.”
The coach lauded Ghana’s resilience, crucial to earning the three points, but emphasized the need for goal-scoring efficiency in the upcoming qualifiers.
Ghana plays the Central African Republic in October; a win almost guarantees their 2026 World Cup spot.