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Ghana 1-0 Mali Black Stars edge towards 2026 World Cup qualification - BBC Sport.txt
Report (active)ScoresTablesImage source,heart in flames emoji Getty ImagesImage caption, Tottenham's Mohammed Kudus scored two goals for Ghana at the 2022 World Cup and his nation is well placed to return to the tournamentGhana took a big step towards qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with a 1-0 home win over Mali.Alexander Djiku scored the only goal for the Black Stars in the 49th minute in Accra after Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra failed to gather Jordan Ayew's inswinging corner.Mali, who needed a win to keep alive their own hopes of automatic qualification, dominated the final half hour but could not find a way back into the game against a resolute home defence.Victory meant Ghana moved on to 19 points and restored their three-point lead at the top of Group I before the final two rounds of fixtures next month.Otto Addo's side face an away game against Central African Republic before they host Comoros, and one win could be enough to reach successive editions of the World Cup.Only the nine group winners in African qualifying are assured a spot at the tournament next year, but the four best-ranked sides will enter continental play-offs.Unbeaten Tunisia join Morocco at 2026 World CupRise of local coaches shows change in African footballPublished3 SeptemberWho has qualified for the 2026 World Cup?Published14 hours agoTop seeds Mali have never played at the World Cup finals and are no longer able to top the group.The Eagles lie fourth in the table, four points adrift of second-placed Madagascar after the Indian Ocean islanders came from behind to beat Chad 3-1 earlier on Monday.Warren Caddy, Rayan Raveloson and Hakim Abdallah were all on target for the Malagasy in the second half.Comoros are third, a point behind Madagascar, after their 2-0 away win over Central African Republic on Sunday.The African side which emerges from the play-offs in November will progress to a final intercontinental qualifier for a chance to earn a ticket to Canada, Mexico and the United States.Algeria close in on qualificationElsewhere, Algeria are one win away from the World Cup finals after having to settle for a 0-0 draw away against Guinea in neutral Casablanca.Mohamed Amoura blazed over the best chance for the North Africans, while the visitors were indebted to Youcef Atal when the right-back headed Aliou Balde's goalbound effort off the line.Algeria top Group G on 19 points, with Uganda and Mozambique four points behind after both those sides recorded victories on Monday.A penalty from Allan Okello and Jude Ssemugabi's strike meant Uganda saw off Somalia 2-0, while Witi and Faisal Bangal gave the Mozambicans victory over Botswana by the same scoreline.The eighth round of African qualifying concludes on Tuesday with 15 fixtures, with Egypt set to join Morocco and Tunisia at the 2026 finals if they win away against Burkina Faso.Related topicsAfrica SportGhanaFootballMore on this storyAfrican World Cup qualifying scores and fixturesAfrican World Cup qualifying tablesCAF World Cup Qualifiers Scores & FixturesMonday 8th SeptemberGuinea-Bissau 2 , Djibouti 0 at Full timeGuinea-BissauGuinea-BissauGuinea-Bissau20DjiboutiDjiboutiDjiboutiFull timeFTLibya 2 , Eswatini 0 at Full timeLibyaLibyaLibya20EswatiniEswatiniEswatiniFull timeFTCongo versus Eritrea Kick-off time to be confirmedCongoCongoCongoTBCKick-off time to be confirmedplaysEritreaEritreaEritreaZambia 0 , Morocco 2 at Full timeZambiaZambiaZambia02MoroccoMoroccoMoroccoFull timeFTMozambique 2 , Botswana 0 at Full timeMozambiqueMozambiqueMozambique20BotswanaBotswanaBotswanaFull timeFTGuinea 0 , Algeria 0 at Full timeGuineaGuineaGuinea00AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeriaFull timeFTUganda 2 , Somalia 0 at Full timeUgandaUgandaUganda20SomaliaSomaliaSomaliaFull timeFTEquatorial Guinea 0 , Tunisia 1 at Full timeEquat GuineaEquatorial GuineaEquatorial Guinea01TunisiaTunisiaTunisiaFull timeFTMalawi 2 , Liberia 2 at Full timeMalawiMalawiMalawi22LiberiaLiberiaLiberiaFull timeFTMadagascar 3 , Chad 1 at Full timeMadagascarMadagascarMadagascar31ChadChadChadFull timeFTGhana 1 , Mali 0 at Full timeGhanaGhanaGhana10MaliMaliMaliFull timeFTView all CAF World Cup Qualifiers fixturesCAF World Cup Qualifiers TableOn Monday 8th SeptemberSkip to table keyGroup ATeamPlayedWonDrawnLostGoals ForGoals AgainstGoal DifferencePointsForm, Last 6 games, Oldest first1Egypt76101621419WResult WinWResult WinDResult DrawWResult WinWResult WinWResult Win2Burkina Faso74211971214WResult WinLResult LossDResult DrawWResult WinWResult WinWResult Win3Guinea-Bissau824288010DResult DrawDResult DrawLResult LossLResult LossDResult DrawWResult Win4Sierra Leone72328809LResult LossWResult WinDResult DrawWResult WinLResult LossDResult Draw5Ethiopia713379-26LResult LossDResult DrawDResult DrawLResult LossWResult WinLResult Loss6Djibouti8017428-241LResult LossDResult DrawLResult LossLResult LossLResult LossLResult LossView latest CAF World Cup Qualifiers tableGroup BTeamPlayedWonDrawnLostGoals ForGoals AgainstGoal DifferencePointsForm, Last 6 games, Oldest first1Congo DR7511113816LResult LossDResult DrawWResult WinWResult WinWResult WinWResult Win2Senegal7430101915DResult DrawDResult DrawWResult WinDResult DrawWResult WinWResult Win3Sudan733184412WResult WinWResult WinWResult WinDResult DrawDResult DrawLResult Loss4Mauritania712449-55DResult DrawLResult LossLResult LossDResult DrawLResult LossWResult Win5Togo704349-54DResult DrawDResult DrawLResult LossDResult DrawLResult LossLResult Loss6South Sudan7034314-113DResult DrawDResult DrawLResult LossLResult LossDResult DrawLResult LossView latest CAF World Cup Qualifiers tableGroup CTeamPlayedWonDrawnLostGoals ForGoals AgainstGoal DifferencePointsForm, Last 6 games, Oldest first1South Africa7511135816LResult LossDResult DrawWResult WinWResult WinWResult WinWResult Win2Benin732277011DResult DrawWResult WinWResult WinDResult DrawLResult LossWResult Win3Nigeria724186210DResult DrawDResult DrawLResult LossWResult WinDResult DrawWResult Win4Rwanda722345-18WResult WinLResult LossWResult WinLResult LossDResult DrawLResult Loss5Lesotho713348-46DResult DrawWResult WinLResult LossLResult LossDResult DrawLResult Loss6Zimbabwe7043510-54DResult DrawLResult LossLResult LossDResult DrawDResult DrawLResult LossView latest CAF World Cup Qualifiers tableGroup DTeamPlayedWonDrawnLostGoals ForGoals AgainstGoal DifferencePointsForm, Last 6 games, Oldest first1Cape Verde751195416WResult WinLResult LossWResult WinWResult WinWResult WinWResult Win2Cameroon74301541115DResult DrawWResult WinDResult DrawDResult DrawWResult WinWResult Win3Libya842297214WResult WinLResult LossDResult DrawLResult LossWResult WinWResult Win4Angola714245-17DResult DrawWResult WinDResult DrawDResult DrawLResult LossLResult Loss5Mauritius7124612-65DResult DrawLResult LossWResult WinLResult LossDResult DrawLResult Loss6Eswatini8026414-102LResult LossLResult LossDResult DrawDResult DrawLResult LossLResult LossView latest CAF World Cup Qualifiers tableGroup ETeamPlayedWonDrawnLostGoals ForGoals AgainstGoal DifferencePointsForm, Last 6 games, Oldest first1Morocco77002121921WResult WinWResult WinWResult WinWResult WinWResult WinWResult Win2Tanzania631265110WResult WinLResult LossWResult WinWResult WinLResult LossDResult Draw3Zambia62049906WResult WinLResult LossLResult LossLResult LossWResult WinLResult Loss4Niger520369-36No ResultLResult LossWResult WinWResult WinLResult LossLResult Loss5Congo6015320-171LResult LossLResult LossLResult LossLResult LossLResult LossDResult Draw6Eritrea00000000No ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultView latest CAF World Cup Qualifiers tableGroup FTeamPlayedWonDrawnLostGoals ForGoals AgainstGoal DifferencePointsForm, Last 6 games, Oldest first1Ivory Coast76101501519WResult WinWResult WinDResult DrawWResult WinWResult WinWResult Win2Gabon76011661018WResult WinLResult LossWResult WinWResult WinWResult WinWResult Win3Burundi7313138510LResult LossDResult DrawWResult WinLResult LossWResult WinLResult Loss4Gambia7214151417LResult LossWResult WinLResult LossDResult DrawLResult LossWResult Win5Kenya7133121116WResult WinDResult DrawDResult DrawDResult DrawLResult LossLResult Loss6Seychelles7007234-320LResult LossLResult LossLResult LossLResult LossLResult LossLResult LossView latest CAF World Cup Qualifiers tableGroup GTeamPlayedWonDrawnLostGoals ForGoals AgainstGoal DifferencePointsForm, Last 6 games, Oldest first1Algeria86111971219LResult LossWResult WinWResult WinWResult WinWResult WinDResult Draw2Uganda8503127515WResult WinLResult LossLResult LossWResult WinWResult WinWResult Win3Mozambique85031215-315WResult WinWResult WinWResult WinLResult LossLResult LossWResult Win4Guinea832375211WResult WinLResult LossDResult DrawLResult LossWResult WinDResult Draw5Botswana83051013-39LResult LossWResult WinLResult LossWResult WinLResult LossLResult Loss6Somalia8017316-131LResult LossLResult LossDResult DrawLResult LossLResult LossLResult LossView latest CAF World Cup Qualifiers tableGroup HTeamPlayedWonDrawnLostGoals ForGoals AgainstGoal DifferencePointsForm, Last 6 games, Oldest first1Tunisia87101301322WResult WinDResult DrawWResult WinWResult WinWResult WinWResult Win2Namibia733194512WResult WinDResult DrawDResult DrawWResult WinDResult DrawLResult Loss3Liberia832399011DResult DrawWResult WinLResult LossWResult WinLResult LossDResult Draw4Malawi831489-110WResult WinLResult LossLResult LossLResult LossWResult WinDResult Draw5Equatorial Guinea8314711-410LResult LossWResult WinWResult WinDResult DrawWResult WinLResult Loss6S?o Tomé e Príncipe7007417-130LResult LossLResult LossLResult LossLResult LossLResult LossLResult LossView latest CAF World Cup Qualifiers tableMatch Participants:Ghana, Position 1, Points 19Mali, Position 4, Points 12Group ITeamPlayedWonDrawnLostGoals ForGoals AgainstGoal DifferencePointsForm, Last 6 games, Oldest first1Ghana86111761119WResult WinWResult WinWResult WinWResult WinDResult DrawWResult Win2Madagascar8512147716WResult WinDResult DrawWResult WinLResult LossWResult WinWResult Win3Comoros85031110115LResult LossWResult WinLResult LossWResult WinLResult LossWResult Win4Mali8332115612LResult LossDResult DrawWResult WinDResult DrawWResult WinLResult Loss5Central African Republic8125817-95WResult WinLResult LossLResult LossDResult DrawLResult LossLResult Loss6Chad8017319-161LResult LossLResult LossLResult LossLResult LossDResult DrawLResult LossView latest CAF World Cup Qualifiers table2nd Place RankingTeamPlayedWonDrawnLostGoals ForGoals AgainstGoal DifferencePointsForm, Last 6 games, Oldest first1Gabon76011661018No ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo Result2Madagascar8512147716No ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo Result3Cameroon74301541115No ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo Result4Senegal7430101915No ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo Result5Uganda8503127515No ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo Result6Burkina Faso74211971214No ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo Result7Namibia733194512No ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo Result8Benin732277011No ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo Result9Tanzania631265110No ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultNo ResultView latest CAF World Cup Qualifiers tableKeyPosition 1 : Final TournamentPosition 2 : Possible Next RoundLast Updated 8th September 2025 at 22:03Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made.
