The Black Stars return to action on Thursday in a crucial FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Eagles of Mali.
The team arrived in Bamako on Tuesday and trained the following day ahead of the game tonight at the Stade du 26 Mars.
Details of the game:
Time: 19:00 GMT/ 7pm local time
Venue: Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako.
TV Info: Live on GTV Sports Plus
Players to watch: Mali – Lassine Sinayoko, Sekou Koita, Lassana Coulibaly, Amadou Haidara, Mohamed Camara
Ghana- Mohammed Kudus, Thomas Partey, Alexander Djiku, Antoine Semenyo, Jordan Ayew
Key battles:
Mohammed Kudus vs Falaye Sacko
Thomas Partey vs Mohamed Camara
Alexander Djiku vs El Bilal Toure
Preview:
The Black Stars have faced Mali ten times across all competitions, with Ghana edging their West African rivals. The Black Stars have won five and lost two of their meeting against the Eagles of Mali. Meanwhile, Mali have been on a rich run of form, with the last meeting between the two countries ending with a victory for the AFCON quarter-finalist. The defeated Ghana 3-0 in a friendly in Turkey.
Heading into the match, Ghana will be seeking their first win of the year while Mali hope to continue with their run of victory since suffering elimination from the Nations Cup.
Technical brains:
Eric Chelle, a former player and now coach of Mali, comes up against former Dortmund player, Otto Addo, who also played for the Black Stars. The duo are esteemed as some of the best coaches on the continent.
Referees:
Omar Amin Mohamed Amin Mohamed – Egypt
Abouelregal Mahmoud Ahmed Kamel Ahmed (Assistant I) – Egypt
Ibrahim Ahmed Hossameldin Taha (Assistant II) – Egypt
Hassan Elghandour Ahmed (Fourth Referee) – Egypt
Credit: ghanasoccernet.com