Former Black Stars striker Augustine Arhinful believes Ghana’s 2-1 victory over Mali in the World Cup qualifiers will serve as a catalyst to motivate the players for the qualifying campaign.
The Black Stars ended their winless streak by securing a crucial 2-1 victory over Mali in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
In an interview on GHOne TV, he tasked senior players in the team to always stand up and be counted in crucial games, as was the case in Bamako.
“I think this victory is motivational enough. It doesn’t really matter what we did in Cote D’Ivoire at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON). This is a new era. Whatever has happened has happened, and it becomes history, let’s focus” he said.
“We have the next Nations cup ahead of us as well as World Cup ahead of us so these are the things we need to focus on because I believe the coach going forward will actually look at his tactics and plans to move this team forward because this is what we need” he added.
The results mean the Black Stars have joined Comoros and Madagascar on six points as leaders in the group.
Ghana next will play Central African Republic on matchday four of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Monday.
