2022 WCQ: Nigeria vs Ghana – Preview, head to head, stats, kick-off time

Team News

• There have been no new injury concerns for the Black Stars ahead of the second leg.
• Felix Afena-Gyan, who picked up an injury in the first leg was able to join the team’s recovery session and travelled with the squad to Abuja.
• Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, who was a doubt for the last game but came on as a late substitute is in line for a start tonight.
• Edmund Addo will miss tonight’s game after scans confirmed a thigh injury before the first leg.

PREVIEW

Is this match the biggest match between the two teams in history? Probably not.

But just like the first leg in Kumasi, it’s right up there.

The rivalry between Ghana and Nigeria transcends football but it is probably at its fiercest when the two nations face off on the pitch.

Add to that, the fact that this is a Ghana vs Nigeria match, post the Jollof Wars and Twitter banter era, and also the fact that there is a World Cup place at stake, and this game takes a whole new level of importance.

Otto Addo’s appointment as Black Stars head coach for just the two matches against Nigeria was initially seen as a stop-gap measure to keep the team ticking until a new substantive boss is found.

However, the Black Stars’ dominance in the first leg on Tuesday against the star-studded Nigerian team, raised more than a few eyebrows to the fact that Addo might just deliver.

A very impressive first half was followed by a creditable second, an improvement from the usual heart-wrenching 45s Ghanaians had become used to in recent Black Stars matches.

One thing that will worry Ghanaians and Addo himself is the fact that the team failed to take their chances despite creating a fair few.

More encouraging was the fact that the Nigerians didn’t score either, heaping massive pressure on the Super Eagles not to concede tonight.

Goals have not been easy for the two teams to come by in competitive games against each other in recent years.

The Black Stars have failed to score in their last four World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria, while the Super Eagles have failed to score in four of their last five against Ghana.

The good news for the Black Stars don’t need to win tonight to make it through to Qatar, a draw will be enough as long as they find the net.

Even a goalless draw might be enough although a more perilous path of extra-time and maybe penalties will be required.

The impressive Kumasi crowd, that cheered on the Stars throughout the game on Friday will certainly be a big miss though.

A big decision that will certainly be on the minds of the members of the technical team is whether Jordan Ayew starts.

Despite being the player with the most goals and appearances for the national team in the current squad, the Crystal Palace forward has failed to find the net in an entire calendar year for the Black Stars.

He was also booed by fans at the Baba Yara Stadium when he came off in stoppage time.

The head coach has however, been vociferous in his backing of Jordan ahead of the game, with all indications pointing to another start for the striker in Abuja.

Nigeria have made qualifying for the World Cup a habit and are hoping to make it through their fourth-straight tournament.

Despite an underwhelming performance in the first leg, Nigeria came through the game unscathed.

However, there’s enormous pressure on them tonight as, aside from playing in front of a typically expectant and impatient home crowd, they’ll have to contend with the threat of the away goals rule.

Otto Addo has been quite combative in his recent press conferences, he’ll require a similar attitude from his team tonight if they’ll a chance of making it through to the tournament in Qatar.

WHAT THEY SAID