By Paul Erewuba
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will today confront the Black Stars of Ghana at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, as each team aim to take advantage in the first leg playoff of the FIFA World Cup.
To underscore the importance of this epic encounter, the Augustine Eguavoen-tutored side landed in Kumasi yesterday morning with their own water and food stuff for obvious reasons.
The team doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned as they arrived Kumasi for their double header against the Black Stars.
Indeed, the Eagles will be hoping to qualify for the global football showpiece for the seventh time, albeit, they must negotiate their way past their eternal rivals, the Black Stars. No doubt, Ghana – still fresh from their disappointing Africa Cup of Nations ouster – would be aiming to appease their fans by earning a fourth World Cup appearance.
It would be recalled that August 28, 1960, the first time the two teams met in a World Cup qualifier, Ghana defeated Nigeria 4 -1 in Accra.
En route to qualifying for the 2002 edition co-hosted by Korea /Japan World Cup, Nigeria and Ghana were pooled in Group B of the final round that also had Liberia, Sudan and Sierra Leone.
Indeed, Nigeria and Ghana have grown used to qualifying for World Cups in recent years but only one of them will make it to the 2022 edition in Qatar, as both teams endured disappointing tournaments at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Twelve years ago, Ghana came within a whisker of being the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final.
Luis Suarez’s infamous handball on the line denied the Black Stars a late winner in their last-eight tie, before Uruguay went on to win on penalties. It was a heartbreaking moment for the West African nation, but Ghanaian soccer supporters were nevertheless proud of their team’s efforts in South Africa.
Their poor performance in Cameroon was the nadir and immediately led to calls for a reset which have since been heeded by the Ghana Football Association. Otto Addo was appointed interim head coach, while Chris Hughton has been brought in as technical advisor and George Boateng has been drafted into the coaching setup.
On the other hand, Nigeria headed into the Nations Cup in Cameroon among the favorites to triumph.
As a result of this, the Super Eagles, no doubt, will be desperate to make up for that disappointment by booking a place in Qatar.
Going away from home is not easy in Africa, where home advantage remains a significant force. And the fact that Ghana has not lost a World Cup qualifier on this pitch since 2001 will give the Black Stars confidence. But it remains to be seen.
In head-to-head meetings between the two West African rivals, Ghana enjoys the superiority having won 25, drew 19 and lost 12 in 56 clashes.