Mali head coach Tom Saintfiet has acknowledged Ghana’s pedigree ahead of their crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Monday.
However, he insisted that the race for qualification in Group I remains wide open.
Speaking ahead of the match at the Accra Sports Stadium, Saintfiet admitted Ghana are favourites given their record and current position at the top of the group.
“It will be difficult. At the moment, Ghana is the number one in the group, they’ve gone to the World Cup five times so they are the favorites,” the Belgian coach said.
“But it can be Mali, Madagascar or Comoros. So it’s a very competitive group.”
The highly anticipated fixture will kick off at 19:00 GMT in Accra.
Ghana currently lead the group with 16 points, just a a point ahead of Comoros, who beat Central African Republic on Sunday, three ahead of Madagascar and four clear of Mali, who sit fourth after seven matchdays.
