Audio By Carbonatix
Sometimes just one moment makes a game, and Alex Djiku’s fortuitous goal lifted Ghans to a 1-0 win over Mali in a scrappy affair at Accra Sports Stadium on Monday.
There were stars other than Kwasi Sibo, but they were mostly limited to the back end on both sides as attackers struggled to assert themselves in this would-be World Cup ticket scrap.
So who starred and slumped for host Ghana?
Ghana vs Mali player ratings out of 10
Benjamin Asare: 6.5 — Had an off day as Mali hardly got past the back line to test him. When he was called upon a couple time, he rose to the occasion to save the day.
Caleb Yirenkyi: 7 — Built early an relationship with Kudus down the right flank. He marshaled his line pretty well, but he hardly had any balls in the box to cause any damage. Overall, he was decent.
Mohammed Salisu: 6.5 — He stepped in place Jerome Opoku and provided authority, ensuring his goalkeeper had a field day.
Alexander Djiku: 7.5 — almost led the team with a horrible just right before the box, but recovered strongly to protect his line and scored the eventual winner which gave Ghana a breather.
Gideon Mensah: 5 — Had quite a difficult outing for the second time running. Zero deliveries and floppy passes.
Jonas Adjetey: 5 - not the best of outing, but not completely out of sort.
Thomas Partey: 7.5 — Had the appetite to play tonight with great driving runs.
Kwasi Sibo: 8 — A tidy debut saw him exit the game as the only player to have created multiple chances.
Mohammed Kudus: 7 — had an incredible day in the office and set up Antoine Sermenyo for what should have been Ghana's opening goal, but the Bournemouth forward fluffed his line.
Jordan Ayew: 5.5 — Effective only for a short stint around the hour mark. Not in good form.
Antoine Sermenyo: 5.5 — Strong and physical, but quiet and wasteful in the final third.
Latest Stories
-
Russian stadium says it won’t host Kanye West gigs
2 minutes -
EOCO, Engage Now Africa rescue 20 Burkinabè nationals from suspected trafficking network
5 minutes -
Women could take over the world in 10 to 15 years – Ahuofe Patri
8 minutes -
Vigilante mobilisation has moved online through social media, encrypted chats – National Security
12 minutes -
Trump envoy calls for Sudan-wide arms embargo as drone attacks escalate
15 minutes -
Self-reliance driving Rwanda’s governance and service delivery — Paul Kagame
19 minutes -
NSMQ 2026: One-Eighth stage beckons as 81 schools chase national glory
22 minutes -
UCC launches Africa Ocean Institute to tackle growing coastal challenges
22 minutes -
George Dela Coffie elected Ghana YMCA National President
28 minutes -
Prudential Bank’s CIO calls for AI literacy and human‑centred skills at Ghana AI Summit
30 minutes -
Ghanaian politicians, wake up: The old communication playbook is obsolete
31 minutes -
Invincible Lives: 13-year-old Emma dreams of school but poverty forces him to beg for survival
33 minutes -
I’m not on NDC gov’t payroll; my work is sacrifice for nation-building – KSM
49 minutes -
IMF programme ends, Policy Partnership begins: Ghana’s next economic chapter
57 minutes -
EV boom: Ghana moves to standardise charging infrastructure to protect power grid
58 minutes