There will be no jollof rice for Super Eagles in Kumasi

On Friday, March 25, three-time African champions, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will face arch-rivals, the Blacks Stars of Ghana, in a must win first leg of the 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff. Considering the existing football rivalry between the two West African countries which began as far back as 1950, nobody needs a seer […]

On Friday, March 25, three-time African champions, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will face arch-rivals, the Blacks Stars of Ghana, in a must win first leg of the 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff.

Considering the existing football rivalry between the two West African countries which began as far back as 1950, nobody needs a seer to know that the encounter isn’t going to be a tea party for either side.

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In all, Ghana and Nigeria have faced each other 56 times with the Black Stars having the upper hand after hauling 25 victories against Nigeria’s 12 victories with 19 of the matches ending in draw.

This rivalry began on October 16, 1950 in a friendly match in Gold Coast as Ghana was called. Ghana managed to record a slim 1-0 win in that match. But on October 20, 1951, Nigeria took back her pound of flesh in a 5-0 demolition of Ghana in Lagos. Those two matches set the tune for subsequent epic clashes between the two countries.

Their last match was a friendly in England but there was nothing to separate the two African heavyweights. It, therefore, promises to be another football ‘war’ on Friday as Ghana who last appeared at the World Cup in 2014 are doing everything possible to pick Qatar 2022 ticket ahead of their arch-rivals.

Already, the Ghanaians are playing serious mind games with their opponents. One of such was the unnecessary fuss over the match venue. They first proposed the bumpy Cape Coast pitch just to upset the Super Eagles. Later on, they settled for Baba Yara stadium in Kumasi as venue for the crucial match..

Having successfully moved the tie to Kumasi, the Ghanaians are doing everything possible to make the Super Eagles and their fans believe that the Black Stars are invincible at the Baba Yara stadium. They say the Black Stars have never been dimmed at their fortress. And there are also talks about juju just to scare the Nigerian boys.

Apart from that, they want to create the false impression that their team is not in the best shape to face the Super Eagles. For several weeks, handlers of the Ghanaian team played hide and seek with the list of invited players for the match. All these are deliberate plans to deceive and make their opponents become complacent in order to catch them napping. They are all mind games which the Super Eagles must decode without delay, if they are to survive in Kumasi.

Interestingly, Nigeria too is not sleeping as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Federal Ministry of Sports are also doing what is humanly possible to ensure the Super Eagles soar well above the Black Stars.

The list of invited Super Eagles for the battle of Kumasi was released timely and little issues that accompanied it were sorted out. And the backroom staff moved into the team’s camp to make all necessary arrangements to receive the players who will start arriving at Wells Carlton Hotel Abuja this morning.

So, as preparations commence today for the all important match, the Super Eagles must be told in very clear words that for them to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, they must avoid defeat in Kumasi. And for them to come out unscathed, they must be ready to spill blood.

Without doubt, it will be a feisty affair but if we all agree that a team is as good as its last performance, then the abysmal outing of the Black Stars at the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon should inspire the Super Eagles. Although the two teams failed to sparkle, Nigeria fared better by getting to the knock-out stage.

However, this shouldn’t be enough reason for the Super Eagles to take anything for granted. The humiliated Black Stars are still boiling with anger. They won’t stop at anything to win back the support of their teeming fans.

But it won’t be a stroll in the park for them because unlike what happened in Cameroon, the Super Eagles may play at full strength. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Nigeria’s in-form strikers, Victor Osimhen and old war horse Odion Ighalo will be in Kumasi to lead the team’s attack.

Few days ago, Ighalo announced his readiness for the ‘war’ in Kumasi with a hat-trick as Al-Hilal thrashed Al-Ahli Jeddah 4-2 in the Saudi Arabian League. And just yesterday, gangling Oshimen sent shivers down the spines of the Black Stars with another brace for Napoli against Udinese in the Italian Serie A.

Undoubtedly, all these signify danger for the four-time AFCON champions but the Black Stars can also derive inspiration knowing their opponents are also faced with injury worries. Presently, Wilfred Ndidi, Sadiq Umar, Kenneth Omeruo and Ademola Lookman who recently switched nationality from England to Nigeria are battling against time with different injuries.

And even as vice-captain, William Troost-Ekong and Oghenekaro Etebo of Watford as well as Ola Aina of Torino are back from injuries, they may have fitness issues. Consequently, the trio may be unable to put in premium performances.

All said and done, the Super Eagles must brace up for ‘war’ in Kumasi. Even as there is a friendly contest between the two nations over who can cook the best jollof rice, nobody is going to serve the Super Eagles ‘Ghana jollof rice’ in Kumasi.