2026 World Cup Qualifiers: I hope key players will be available for Mali, CAR games - Black Stars coach Otto Addo

Black Stars coach, Otto Addo is eagerly anticipating the availability of key players for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR) scheduled for June this year.

Thomas Partey, Inaki Williams, Joseph Paintsil, and Mohammed Kudus missed the friendly games against Nigeria and Uganda due to various reasons.

Looking ahead to the crucial qualifiers, Addo expressed his hope for the return of these key players, emphasizing the importance of their presence for the team's strength.

"We hope that key players from this team will come back so we are stronger in June," Addo stated in an interview with the Ghana Football Association website.

Reflecting on the recent friendly encounters, Addo acknowledged that the matches provided both positive and negative insights, offering valuable lessons for the team.

"We got a lot of answers to a lot of open questions from these matches. Positive but also negative answers to be honest," he added.

Ghana is set to travel to Mali on June 3 for their first qualifier, followed by a home fixture against the Central African Republic at the Baba Yara Stadium on June 10.

Currently positioned third in their World Cup qualifying group with three points from two games, the Black Stars secured a victory against Madagascar but suffered a defeat to Comoros.

The team's preparations for the upcoming qualifiers included a 2-0 loss to Nigeria and a 2-2 draw with Uganda in friendly matches.