Mali FA Set to File Official Protest with FIFA After Ghana Defeat
- Ghana boosted their 2026 World Cup hopes with a narrow 1-0 victory over Mali in Accra, thanks to Alexander Djiku’s decisive strike
- The win puts the Black Stars top of Group I on 19 points but has also sparked plans to lodge a complaint from Mali’s Football Association
- Nations FC's media officer, formerly with Dreams FC, has asserted that the country's protest to FIFA would not be substantial enough
The Mali Football Association is reportedly preparing to lodge a formal protest with FIFA over the performance of referee Badi Luxolo during the 2026 World Cup qualifier against Ghana in Accra.
The Black Stars took a significant step toward qualification with a 1-0 victory over Les Aigles on September 8, 2025, a result that restored their three-point lead at the top of Group I.
Source: Twitter
Ghana’s winner came in the 49th minute when Alexander Djiku pounced at the back post after Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra failed to claim Jordan Ayew’s inswinging corner.
The goal proved decisive, although Mali pushed hard in the final half hour, dominating possession and creating pressure, but they were repeatedly denied by the Black Stars' resolute defence.
The defeat was a major blow to Mali, which had needed a victory to keep its hopes of automatic qualification alive.
With the result, Ghana now sit on 19 points and have their destiny in their own hands ahead of the final two rounds of fixtures.
Source: Twitter
Only the nine group winners in African qualifying will book automatic tickets to the 2026 World Cup, while the four best-ranked runners-up will move into the continental play-offs.
Mali, one of the continent’s top seeds, have never reached the World Cup finals and is now mathematically out of the race to top the group, per the BBC.
Mali FA to file protest with FIFA
Still, the Malian FA insists they are not ready to let the three points go uncontested.
Their officials are set to file a protest with FIFA, claiming Djiku’s decisive goal should have been disallowed due to an alleged foul and push in the build-up, sports journalist Micky Junior reported.
The complaint will be directed both at the match officials and the Ghana Football Association.
The post on X about the latest development is below:
On the night, South African referee Badi Luxolo, 30, officiated the game. He was assisted by Phatsoane Souru (Assistant Referee I) from Lesotho, Cledwin Baloyi (Assistant Referee II) from South Africa, and Naftal Mweshitsama Negongo from Namibia, who acted as the fourth official, per Ghanaweb.
With only 12 points from eight games, Mali can no longer catch up. Nonetheless, they could still make it via the playoff spots if they finish in second position.
The Eagles could also use the remainder of the matches in the qualifiers as a dress rehearsal for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations later this year.
Awudu Issaka doubts Mali protest
Former Ghana international Awudu Issaka has poured cold water on Mali’s protest to CAF, insisting he has never seen the continental body overturn a result because of poor officiating.
Mali lodged a complaint against the referee after last week’s game in Bamako, claiming they were unfairly treated in key moments of the match. But Issaka believes their protest is unlikely to go anywhere.
“I am yet to see CAF overturn a result because of poor officiating,” Issaka told YEN.com.gh. “Even if the referee made mistakes, what proof do they have that he was deliberately unfair to Mali? Football has always had controversial decisions, but the results stand.”
The former Borussia Dortmund and 1995 U-17 World Cup winner admitted that refereeing errors are part of the game but urged Mali to accept the outcome and move on.
“CAF has never reversed a scoreline on the basis of bad officiating, and I don’t expect this to be any different,” he added. “Mali should take it as it is. Ghana won the game on the pitch, and that is what counts.”
Nations FC media officer shares verdict
In a discussion with Nations FC media officer, Delali Frank Awutey, who was formerly at Dreams FC and part of the Ghana FA President's team, shared his thoughts on Mali's protest and their plan to file a complaint with FIFA.
According to Awutey, he does not think the appeal will yield any results, because it's very difficult to change such a decision, especially since it was not evident that the referee was against them.
"It’s within their rights to protest. They have every right, provided they go through the right processes. They have 24 hours to protest, and they’ve done it."
"But if you look at what they are protesting, I don’t think it has merit. One of the most difficult things is referee decisions. When you are protesting against a referee, you need a lot of patterns to convince FIFA or CAF to overturn decisions. It doesn’t happen often."
"When a match is over and you are protesting based on a referee’s performance, it’s difficult because it is believed that referees are human and use their discretion. In such cases, it’s up to the referee to decide whether it’s a foul or not. And it’s not as if it was a clear-cut foul, both players were pulling each other. It was like two players defending and struggling for the ball, and Djiku overpowered the defender. If you watch the ball carefully, it looks like Djiku was going down and managed to get his leg on the ball. It’s their right to protest, but I do not think it will have any impact."
Mali coach criticises Black Stars
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Mali's head coach Tom Saintfiet did not hold back after his team’s defeat to Ghana in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Monday, September 8.
Speaking to the media at the Accra Sports Stadium, the 52-year-old accused the Black Stars of playing with fear, arguing that Otto Addo chose a defensive setup despite a strong team.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
