ACCRA, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Ghana will host sub-regional counterparts Mali on Monday in Group I of the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The two teams previously played on June 6 last year in Mali's capital Bamako, with Ghana winning 2-1.

Mali, now under the guidance of new coach Tom Saintfiet, continues to push for a revival in form after the Belgian replaced Eric Chelle, who has since taken charge of Nigeria.

After a 3-0 win over Comoros in Morocco on Friday, Mali moved up to third in Group I on 12 points, trailing second-placed Madagascar by a single point and sitting four points adrift of leaders Ghana.

Meanwhile, Ghana, currently on 16 points, was held to a 1-1 draw by bottom-ranked Chad on Thursday, a result that left many home fans disappointed with the players and the manager.

In a post-match press conference, Otto Addo made an honest admission for the team's poor showing.

"I can't say we played excellently or we played well because it was a draw. The result is everything. We had a lot of corners, we did nothing out of that. This, in the end, surely is not good enough, and we have to improve, especially on our execution," said Addo.

Ghana has appeared at the FIFA World Cup four times and remains on course to win Group I, which would secure direct qualification for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada. ■