Otto Addo, Black Stars coach, has advised his players to be focused and not take their next encounter against the Central African Republic (CAR) lightly.

Ghana will face CAR on Monday, June 10, at the Baba Yara Stadium in the fourth of four matchdays in the 2026 World Cup qualification.

The Black Stars came into this game off a 2-1 victory against Mali in Bamako, raising their total to six points in three games.

They are presently ranked third in Group I, after leaders Madagascar and the Comoros.

Despite the remarkable win over Mali’s favoured Eagles, Addo insisted that the squad cannot afford to be complacent. His sentiments mirrored those of Mohammed Kudus.

“One thing is certain: the game will be extremely challenging. “For everyone who thinks it’ll be easy, we hope it is, but it’s a very difficult game,” Addo told reporters on Sunday.

“We can’t relax now,” said the former Borussia Dortmund head coach.

The match is scheduled to start at 19:00 GMT.

Ghana coach Otto Addo expects a tough encounter against the Central African Republic (CAR) in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The Black Stars will meet CAR in the fourth round of matches on Monday at Baba Yara Stadium, with kickoff at 19:00 GMT.

Reflecting on their recent comeback win over Mali in Bamako during the third round, Addo emphasised the importance of the forthcoming encounter against CAR.

“This is going to be really difficult. “For everyone who thinks we can just play them, I don’t believe it will happen,” remarked the former Borussia Dortmund coach.

“They’re performing well, especially in attacking transitions. They’re quite dangerous; they demonstrated that in the 1-1 draw with Mali,” he continued.

The Black Stars are presently third in Group I, with six points. A victory would greatly improve their prospects of qualifying for the World Cup.

Ghana striker Mohammed Kudus has stated that the Black Stars are aiming to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The squad recently returned to form, defeating Mali 2-1 in Bamako on their third matchday, due to second-half goals from Ernest Nuamah and Jordan Ayew.

With this victory, Ghana is presently third in Group I with six points.

Ahead of their matchday four against the Central African Republic on Monday at the Baba Yara Stadium, Kudus, who plays for West Ham United, emphasised that the Black Stars’ primary goal is to qualify for the coveted event in 2026.

“The belief has always existed; that we all want to go to the World Cup. “That is our ultimate goal, regardless of how we achieve it,” Kudus told the press on Sunday.

“Our coach has his strategies, but sometimes the game gets tougher. “We just have to do our best and get the results,” he said.

Kudus is likely to play an important part for Ghana when they face the Central African Republic in this critical qualifier.

The highly anticipated encounter is due to begin at 19:00 GMT.