Ghana coach Otto Addo has admitted playing a defensive style of play following their victory against Mali in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Ghana moved a step closer to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mali at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday evening.

The breakthrough came in the second half when defender Alexander Djiku scored in a scrappy fashion.

After the game, head coach Otto Addo shed light on his tactical approach, admitting that his game plan was deliberately built on a defensive setup.

"This is football, sometimes you have to fix your tactics. I knew they (Mali) needed to win so we played a little bit defensively and we had good headers in our team because we have three tall defenders in our team and at the end that is his opinion and I understand.

"I had my tactics, we had our tactics and we decided well and what is most important is the three points," he added.

The win leaves Ghana just one victory away from sealing qualification.

Next up for the Black Stars is an away clash against the Central African Republic, before wrapping up their campaign with a home fixture against Comoros in October.