In the 8th round of the 2026 World Cup CAF qualifiers, on September 8, 2025, the national teams of Ghana and Mali will face each other. The group leader hosts the match at home and is focused solely on winning.
Our Prediction for the Ghana vs Mali Match
Ghana has played in four of the last five World Cups. However, in both of the most recent AFCON tournaments, they were eliminated right after the group stage. They also missed out on qualifying for the African Nations Championship again—losing to Nigeria in December. However, in this qualification cycle, they have won all of their matches except for one slip-up against the Comoros.
Mali has never qualified for a World Cup, but remains consistently solid at AFCON. In the previous edition, they even reached the quarterfinals. However, Mauritania prevented them from participating in the African Nations Championship last December. And in this qualification round, after just one defeat, Mali has drawn half of their games.
Otto Addo’s team last played against the group’s underdogs, Chad. Despite leading 1-0 for most of the match, they conceded in the 89th minute and had to settle for a 1-1 draw. Their upcoming opponent, meanwhile, played against the Comoros and secured a convincing 3-0 victory.
Ghana vs Mali: Key Stats and Trends
Ghana has won three out of their last five matches
On average, Ghana scores 1.7 goals and concedes 0.9 goals per game
50% of Ghana’s matches end with goals from both teams, and the average total goals per game is 2.6
Mali has won two of their last six matches
Mali averages 1.6 goals scored and 0.2 goals conceded per game
10% of Mali’s matches end with goals from both teams, and the average total goals per game is 1.8
Ghana vs Mali: Possible Starting Lineups
Ghana (probable lineup): Asare - Mensah, Opoku, Adjetey, Yirenkyi - Abdul-Samed, Owusu, I. Williams - Semenyo, Kudus, J. Ayew
Mali (probable lineup): Diarra - Dante, Niakaté, Fofana, Diakité - Dorgeles, Dieng, Koulibaly, Sangaré - Doumbia, Sangaré
Previous Meetings: Ghana vs Mali
Ghana has won three out of the last four encounters, with one loss.
Free Prediction for Ghana vs Mali
The hosts are expected to succeed. However, for safety, we recommend taking Asian handicap “0” (odds – 1.6).
