Former Ghana players pay morale-boosting visit to Black Stars ahead of Mali clash

A contingent comprising of former Black Stars players paid a visit to the senior national team ahead of their cliffhanger World Cup qualifier against Mali on Monday evening in Accra.

Following a disappointing 1-1 draw in N'Djamena against Chad, the Black Stars were left crestfallen as their rivals Mali and Comoros close the gap in Group I.

However, as part of efforts to lift the morale of the players up, members of the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG), including former stars Samuel Osei Kuffuor, Afriyie Acquah, John Mensah and Tony Baffoe met the team at their hotel in Accra.

The former players took turns to motivate the squad, referring them to the importance of qualifying for the tournament in North America next year.

The Black Stars desperately need a win to open the gap at the top of the table before the next set of qualifiers in October.

Currently, the four-time World Cup finalist sit top of the table with 16 points followed by Comoros with 15, who have played a game ahead.

Meanwhile, Mali could close the gap on Ghana should they beat their West African neighbours in Accra on Monday evening.

The Black Stars first qualified for the World Cup in 2006 and have been to the 2010, 2014 and 2022 editions.

Ghana remains one of only four nations from the continent to reach the quarter-final of the World Cup.