When it mattered the most, the Black Stars of Ghana took a giant leap in securing qualifications for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America following their home win over Mali at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Djiku’s match-winner proved the difference between the two countries in a keenly contested game in Accra.

READ MORE: Match Highlights: Ghana 1-0 Mali

The home team will need four points from their next two games, which are against Madagascar and Comoros in the October qualifiers.

This leads me to detail a few observations from the game between the two powerhouses of African football.

Otto’s 3 back system

When Otto deployed the 3-back system, I’m sure he was looking to give the team defensive solidity, flexibility in attack, stretching play out wide, and aiding the team numerically in attack, effectively turning the formation into a 5-man attacking line.

READ MORE: WCQ26: Djiku’s header aids BlackStars over Mali in Accra

But what he forgot was the risk of having few men(Partey/Sibo) in the middle of the park. On most occasions, the team had to rely on the runs of Yirenkyi, who had to play as a make-shift right wing back after his impressive display in the Unity Cup in London in May 2025. His peers used him more for his youthful exuberance, ability, and surging runs, but largely, he failed to take on the opposition. I struggle to remember any part of the game where, together with his wingback compatriot, Mensah, they delivered an inch-perfect cross into the opposition area of the Malians. The cautious nature of these tactics underdelivered from what I would have largely expected, considering the attacking personnel available to the technical team.

Availability of Leadership

Over the past years, one thing that has been the most talked about issue is leadership within the corridors of the Black Stars. When Otto put out the lineup out a casual look presents several names but the ones that stood out were Jordan Ayew, Thomas Partey, Alex Djiku and to an extent Kudus with a combined experience of 36 years these guys have done well to serve the nation gallantly even though there have been segments of patriotism and consistency levelled against them at times in their call ups for national assignments.

The quartet showed what it meant to play for the nation against Mali; they all rose up to the task, they gave their all, and delivered the vital 3 points in diverse ways to push Ghana’s chances of securing a slot for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

Partey – Sibo partnership

Thomas Partey. A midfield gem that needs no introduction to the modern game. A wonder figure whose technical attributes of passing accuracy, ball control, work rate, leadership, strength, and stamina were felt during the game.

The way he eased Sibo into the game was a masterstroke. For a player who received a late call-up and had to debut in his first game in a high-profile World Cup qualifier against Mali, the lad impressed his suitors and admirers.

Sibo’s ability to cover loads of ground, launch into tackles, win duels, and hold off opponents to maintain possession allowed Partey enough freedom to contribute to the attacking third of the pitch, something that was hugely missing in Partey’s game when playing with other midfielders.

Failed Substitutions

Otto’s first change of the game came eighteen minutes away from the end of the game. Semenyo was subbed off for Kamaldeen. I’m sure the thinking that went into that change was to ensure that the team had more men out wide playing on the width and stretching the Malians, who were slowly dominating the game. Not later than eight minutes, Kudus and Jordan were stretched off for Inaki and Joseph Painstil. It was clear the former were tired; their contribution to the game was immense. The pair’s relentless energy was there for everyone to see, their holdup play, defensive duties in portions of the game, as well as their ability to link up play drew admiration from the 45 thousand Ghanaian supporters at the stadium. The introduction of Joseph Painstil injected more pace to the attack, while Inaki was deployed as a central figurehead, but he was left frustrated on multiple occasions as Kmamaldeen and Joseph Painstil failed to square balls to him for simple tap-ins.

Squad Quality/Depth

If there is one thing I have noticed about this group of BlackStars players, it’s the enviable stack of talents. This is something Malian coach Tom Saintfiet confirmed in his post-game interview, considering how Otto set up his team. According to him, the team was full of talented players, mentioning Kudus, Jordan, Inaki, Semenyo, an opinion a lot of Ghanaians share daily. I believe if the technical team takes more risk, it will definitely unleash the boys to new levels in their game, something I feel they are constantly quelled in games.

Match Highlights: Ghana 1-0 Mali

The Black Stars may have got the results, but I’m not a happy person. The performance was subpar, and the coaching still needs a massive upgrade moving forward.