Heart Coach of the Black Stars, Otto Addo says his team would do everything possible to beat the Barea of Madagascar at the Grand Al Hoceima Stadium in Aït Kamra, Morocco today to maintain the top spot on the Group I table of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Black Stars, currently lead the group with 12 points from five games. They will play as guests of the island country at 7pm.

Separated by just two points, a defeat today will see the Black Stars lose the top spot, but he assured that the position at the top would be jealously guarded.

He said, after the 5-0 victory over Les Sao of Chad on Friday, focus has quickly shifted to today's game which he envisages would be a difficult one.

"It would be a very different game unlike the one against Chad, a much more difficult game, but we're ready for it."

According to him, Madagascar has a good team, adding that the big victory against Comoros (4-1) will give them a huge motivation for today's game.

"I am happy we are in the first position, and it is a position we have to defend now. The win against Chad gives us much more positivity, and we have to build upon that and secure the results in the next game."

The East African nation is playing catch-up and would need all three points to climb above the Black Stars.

Coach Otto Addo is unbeaten in the World Cup qualifiers, winning all three games against Mali, Central African Republic, and Chad.

The Black Stars defeated the Barea 1-0 on match day one of the ongoing qualifiers at the Kumasi Baba Yara Stadium in November 2023 with a goal from Iñaki Williams, under former Head Coach, Chris Hughton.