ACCRA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Alexander Djiku's second-half strike sealed a 1-0 victory for Ghana over Mali in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifier at the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday.

Djiku scored his third international goal in the 49th minute, heading home from a corner delivered by captain Jordan Ayew.

The win puts Ghana three points clear at the top of Group I with 19 points from eight matches, ahead of Madagascar. Comoros sits third with 15 points, followed by Mali on 12, the Central African Republic (CAR) on five, and Chad with one.

Ghana will next face the CAR away in October before hosting Comoros in its final qualifier.

The Black Stars have previously appeared at four World Cups - in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022. ■