Mali vs Ghana: Match Preview, Team News, Kick-Off Time and Where to Watch
- Ghana's Black Queens face Mali in a must-not-lose Group D fixture at the 2026 WAFCON in Casablanca on Thursday, August 5
- Both sides arrive at the clash with identical records, having beaten Cape Verde and lost to Cameroon in their opening two fixtures
- Ghana, however, hold a strong historical edge over Mali at the WAFCON, but the Lady Eagles delivered a famous upset in 2018
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Ghana faces a do-or-die battle against Mali at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium, with victory securing their place in the 2026 WAFCON quarter-finals.
Both teams have identical records after beating Cape Verde and losing to Cameroon. That means there is no room for error, with the winner advancing to face Group C winners Malawi in the last eight.
Source: Twitter
The Black Queens will take confidence from their record in final group games. They have won nine, drawn one and lost just once in their previous 11 matches.
Mali's record is far less encouraging. They have lost seven of their eight final group fixtures, with their only victory coming against Algeria at the 2018 tournament.
Mali vs Ghana match preview
The two West African sides have met five times previously at the WAFCON, with Ghana winning the first three encounters, securing victories in 2002, 2006 and 2016.
However, Mali produced a famous 2-1 win over the hosts at the 2018 edition in Ghana, before beating Algeria 3-2 to reach the knockout stage. Their most recent meeting ended 1-1 in Berkane in 2025.
Source: Twitter
Both squads are reportedly at full strength, with no major injury concerns heading into the decisive encounter.
Ghana coach Kim Lars Björkegren has urged his players to remain patient despite criticism over their finishing. He said, as quoted by CAF Online:
"It is always about the balance. If something does not work sometimes, you have to make some changes. You cannot just react and change. When you look at the last one year, we have recorded some good results.
"Just because you have a bad day, a bad 30 minutes vs Cameroon, you cannot change everything. You have to still believe in the group. If I just react because of that one day, it shows that I don't believe in them. I still believe in them."
Watch coach Kim's pre-match comments, as shared on X:
Meanwhile, Birama Konaté, the head coach of Mali, expects a fierce battle.
"We want to go into this game as warriors. We came here for the competition. We shall not forget any simple detail. In our heads, we are already focused, very motivated and also making sure that we are not forgetting any details for this match. We just need to come in with a great deal of energy. We just need to get the three points that we need to qualify," Konaté said.
How to watch Mali vs Ghana
The Group D showdown kicks off at 8:00 PM GMT on Thursday, August 5, at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca.
Fans in Ghana can watch the match live on GTV Sports+ and Max TV.
WAFCON 2026: Why Nigeria, Malawi qualified ahead of Zambia
In another publication, YEN.com.gh explained how the CAF tiebreaker separated the sides and saw Zambia miss out despite conceding only two goals.
Nigeria and Malawi secured their places in the 2026 WAFCON quarter-finals after all three Group C teams finished level on six points.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
