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Pre-Match Presser: every word from Coach Otto Addo
Ghana Coach Otto Addo took his seat in the press conference room at Stade du 26-Mars in Bamako to handle his pre-match media duties before our 2026 FIFA World Cup Group I qualifier against Mali on Thursday.
With the Group I ticket up for grabs, Otto Addo revealed his feelings going into the game, as well as discusses how his team aims for the points against one of the best teams on the African continent and the quality of the Black Stars.
On his mood going into the game in Mali
I am happy to be here. It’s a very important match for us. We are one point behind Mali in the Group and we have to win, this will be the best to guarantee our chances to qualify for the World Cup. But we know it’s going to be very, very tough. Mali has a very, very strong team. They showed recently in their games against Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire how good they are.
On quality of Mali
They have a lot of young talents in their team and in the FIFA Rankings; they are above us so Mali is a great team. It’s difficult for us to beat them but we have to try. They are one point above us, we have a good team as well but in the FIFA rankings they are above us so these show how good and competitive they are. They showed in the last game against Nigeria how good they are and also in the AFCON when they played against Ivory Coast they were very, very unlucky. So for us, they are a very, very strong team but we have the possibility to still beat them. We also have a strong team and it’s going to be an equal measure
On game plan
It’s difficult to say. Surely we have a plan as regards how we want to play. We have observed them well. Almost all the players’ play in the Ligue 1, they are very, very strong. We have our ideas but surely I can’t tell you what we are going to do to win this match.
On readiness for Mali
Surely I think we are ready for the game. I know it’s always a short time for the preparations because players are coming from long seasons. So we had one good week. I am very, very satisfied on how they understood me on how we want to play. Like I said it’s going to be difficult.
On comparison between this game and the one against Nigeria in 2022
I compare this match a little bit to when I took over and we played against Nigeria. We had two matches then and we needed to qualify. This is going to be a tough match away in Mali, a country that have produced really, really good players like Haidara and Doumbia and so on. We know it’s going to be tough but we also have the quality to compete against them. Although we didn’t have a good AFCON, I think they are 20 places or so above us in the FIFA Ranking but I think we have the players to compete against them to get the three points out of Mali.
The Diaspora Affairs Office at the Office of the President has hosted a delegation of African diaspora women who are in Ghana ahead of a planned Presidential Conferment of Citizenship ceremony.
The Director of Diaspora Affairs, Kofi Okyere Darko, explained in a Facebook post that the visit was a gesture of appreciation by the delegation to the Government of Ghana for its continued efforts to reconnect Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral homeland.
He indicated that the ceremony, scheduled for next Monday, will officially grant Ghanaian citizenship to members of the delegation as part of the country’s broader engagement with the African diaspora.
The delegation was led by Erica Bennett, Founder of the Diaspora Africa Forum.
According to Mr Okyere Darko, her years of advocacy have played an important role in strengthening ties between Africa and people of African descent living abroad.
He noted that the group’s journey towards citizenship represents not only a legal process but also a cultural and spiritual return to their roots.
Also present at the meeting was Natalie Jackson, an attorney who is also expected to receive Ghanaian citizenship during the ceremony. She works closely with renowned civil rights lawyer Ben Crump.
Mr Okyere Darko emphasised that Ghana remains committed to strengthening relationships with the African diaspora and promoting unity, identity, and shared heritage among people of African descent worldwide.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Ghana Tourism Authority is leading Ghana’s participation at ITB Berlin, which opened in Berlin with a vibrant national pavilion highlighting Ghana’s rich cultural heritage, tourism destinations and investment opportunities.
March 5 has been designated as Ghana Day, a special platform to promote Ghana’s languages, cuisine, Kente, festivals and business prospects to the global tourism community. The stand has already drawn strong interest with traditional arts and crafts displays, immersive multimedia presentations and popular Ghanaian snacks.
Seven private-sector players are exhibiting alongside government officials as part of efforts to deepen trade partnerships, expand market access, and attract investment across the hospitality, heritage tourism, ecotourism, and creative arts sectors.
Ahead of the official opening, the Ghana delegation also engaged young Ghanaian investors in Germany in collaboration with V Afrika-Verein and the Ghana Embassy, strengthening diaspora investment linkages and highlighting opportunities within the tourism value chain.
Ghana’s coordinated presence at ITB Berlin 2026 reinforces its strategy to position the country as the Gateway to Africa and a competitive destination for leisure travel and global investment.
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