But the Black Stars boss insists his men are ready to give their all to ensure victory in what promises to be one of the defining nights of African qualifying. 

For the coach and his big-name players, the equation is painfully simple: win or risk seeing their World Cup dream unravel. Ghana sit top of Group I but do so under mounting pressure.

The team dropped points in a frustrating 1-1 draw against bottom side Chad last Thursday, and the result left the group delicately open.

Comoros’ 2-0 victory over the Central African Republic yesterday, and with Madagascar expected to beat bottom side Chad today, means that the Black Stars cannot afford to drop a point in the rest of the competition. It means a win for Ghana is essential. 

Open group

Mali, sitting four points off the pace, reignited their faint hopes of reaching their first World Cup with a 3-0 win over Comoros last Thursday.

Now they arrive in Accra, poised to cause an upset, as a defeat ends their hopes of winning the group and picking an automatic ticket. A win, however, drags them right back into contention and blows Group I wide open with two games left.

Mali’s coach Tom Saintfiet has wasted no time stoking the fire. “Ghana are the best team in the group, but we are here to make history and win here,” the Belgian warned. “We will make everything possible to qualify.”

Ghana’s pressure cooker

However, Otto Addo knows the weight of expectation better than anyone. He has lived Ghana’s World Cup story from the inside as a player at Germany 2006, and as the coach who masterminded the nerve-shredding play-off triumph over Nigeria to reach Qatar 2022.

Yet the pressure is arguably heavier this time. 

Under pressure to win, especially after letting slip three points against Chad, the Ghana coach cut a determined figure yesterday: “We have to give our lives for this. We are not there yet. No way. And our opponents will do everything to stop us. It’s game by game. No underrating, no complacency. We must be concentrated until the final minute.”

"Mali, I'm sure nobody will underrate them. Everybody knows they're good. So, I'm not worried. So, I know we will put everything in. We have to be concentrated till the last minute," he emphasised.

Skipper Jordan Ayew and his teammates know that Ghana Stars cannot afford another slip after the Chad draw. The atmosphere inside the stadium will be feverish, but it can just as easily turn into a cauldron of anxiety if Ghana start sluggishly.

Intense rivalry

The Ghana versus Mali contest has long been one of West Africa’s defining football rivalries. In 25 encounters, Ghana boast a superior record of 12 wins against Mali’s six, with seven draws.

Yet the most telling marker came in Bamako last year, when the Black Stars overturned the odds with a late comeback through Ayew’s goal —an outcome that underscored Ghana’s resilience and left Mali with unfinished business.

Ghana boast both talent and history on their side. Mohammed Kudus remains the team’s creative talisman, capable of unlocking the Malian defence, while Antoine Semenyo, Joseph Paintsil and Kamaldeen Sulemana provide lively attacking options with blistering pace.

Tonight all the attackers, including veteran Ayew and Inaki Williams, must be clinical when the chances scome their way, while the defence must be resolute and focused to ensure the slippery Malian attackers are kept at bay.

There is uncertainty over the fitness of Thomas Partey, but if the Villareal enforcer is unable to pass a late fitness test, Otto Addo could turn to the in-form Real Oviedo midfielder Kwesi Sibo to provide some steel to the midfield.

Mali’s hunger 

The Eagles, though, are far from overawed. Even without Tottenham’s Yves Bissouma, Saintfiet commands a squad rich with talent. RC Lens midfielder Mamadou Sangaré adds drive, Aliou Dieng offers bite and control, and Fenerbahçe playmaker Nene Dorgeles carries the creativity and flair to decide a game in a single moment.