Head Coach Daniel Ogunmodede is upbeat on the chances of the Super Eagles B defeating Ghana’s Black Galaxies in Saturday’s African Nations Championship ,CHAN, qualifier.
The win would propel Nigeria into the finals of the competition, set to take place early next year.
The 8th edition of the CHAN tournament, which will be co-hosted by Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda from February 1-28, 2025, sees Nigeria and Ghana locked in a tense battle for one of the qualification spots. After a goalless draw in the first leg in Accra last Sunday, the two sides will face off in a decisive second leg at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.
Ogunmodede and his squad have not taken a break, remaining fully focused on the task at hand. The Remo Stars coach stated: “We are doing everything possible to stay focused and avoid distractions. While we earned a scoreless draw away, we are not complacent. Our initial goal was to score an away goal in Accra, but we couldn’t achieve that. Now, we will approach Saturday’s game as if our lives depend on it. Our main objective is to secure the win that will qualify us for the CHAN finals in East Africa.”
In Accra, Nigeria’s defense was solid, relying on counter-attacks, but in Uyo, they will need to take a more aggressive approach from the outset. The rivalry between the two nations, Ghana’s failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, and the history of their previous CHAN encounters all contribute to making Saturday’s match a high-stakes affair.
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Ghana’s Black Galaxies will be desperate to avoid further disappointment after missing out on AFCON qualification for the first time since 2004. They will be throwing everything at Nigeria to secure a place in the CHAN finals.
Historically, Ghana has dominated the African Nations Championship clashes between the two sides, with Nigeria winning just one of their six previous encounters. Three of the matchups ended in goalless draws.
Ghana claimed victories in 2008 (3-2) and 2022 (2-0) in Accra, and even in the drawn encounters, they progressed, as in the 2008 tie when Ghana advanced to the inaugural CHAN finals in Ivory Coast based on their earlier 3-2 win in Accra. In the 2014 semi-final, after a 0-0 draw, Ghana triumphed 4-1 in a penalty shootout.
However, Ogunmodede’s side secured Nigeria’s best result on Ghanaian soil in CHAN history and is now aiming to deliver a victory at home in Uyo.
The Confederation of African Football , CAF, has appointed Moroccan referee Hamza El Fariq to officiate the match. His compatriots Abdessamad Abertoune, Zakaria Bouchtaoui, and Hicham Temsamani will serve as assistant 1, assistant 2, and fourth official, respectively.
Prince Kai Saquee from Sierra Leone will be the match commissioner, while Miboti Moise from the Democratic Republic of Congo will serve as the referee assessor.
CredibleNewsng.com
