Otto Addo has urged his players to be sharper in the final third after the Black Stars laboured to a 1-0 win over Mali in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Accra Sports Stadium.
Speaking to the media after the match, Addo admitted that his side’s wastefulness in attack nearly cost them.
“If you’ve played before, you know that sometimes there’s a little bounce from the ball or the position is tight and you think too much,” he explained.
“It’s normal as a footballer to look for the perfect solution, but sometimes you don’t need it. Sometimes you just rip the ball in, even if it’s one against three.
“The defender might score an own goal, you might hit the player, or you can win the second ball. We need to improve on that, for sure.”
The Black Stars created several clear-cut opportunities but lacked the composure to finish them.
Antoine Semenyo spurned a chance late in the first half before Alexander Djiku finally broke the deadlock with a scrappy 49th-minute strike.
But Ghana failed to build on the advantage. Kamaldeen Sulemana opted to shoot rather than square to Inaki Williams, who was in a better position.
Joseph Paintsil also overlooked Williams in another promising attack, choosing instead to play Sulemana.
Those missed opportunities left Ghana vulnerable, and Mali pressed hard for an equaliser in the dying minutes.
