The Super Eagles of Nigeria held the Black Stars of Ghana to a goalless draw in the first leg of their 2022 World Cup qualifying playoffs at the in Kumasi on Friday night, Completesports.com repors.
Despite the tensed atmosphere inside the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, the Eagles dealt with the pressure well and had good chances to open scoring.
The game saw the duo of Ademola Lookman and Calvin Bassey making their debut for the Eagles.
Both teams are now expected to go for broke when they clash in the second leg billed for the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja on Tuesday.
Ghana almost got the opener on 15 minutes from a through pass, but Leon Balogun made a timely intervention.
In the 19th minute, Ghana went close again but William Troost-Ekong made a good block.
Also Read: Cameroon Set To Miss Out On W/Cup Qualification Again After Home Loss To Algeria
The Eagles had their first chance on 21 minutes, but Victor Osimhen failed to connect off Zaidu Sanusi’s cross.
On 27 minutes, a dangerous cross from Gideon Mensah hit Ola Aina and almost ended in the back of the net.
On 32 minutes Francis Uzoho pulled off a brilliant save as he parried away a ferocious left-foot shot from Abdul Fatawu Issahaku.
Four minutes later Osimhen connected with a good cross from Troost-Ekong which was well saved by the Black Stars goalkeeper,Joseph Wollacot.
With five minutes left in the first half Joe Aribo raced on to a fine lobbed pass from Aina but blazed his effort over the bar from a good position.
Simon had the Eagles best chance on 55 minutes after he was played through on goal by Kelechi Iheanacho, but his effort was saved by the Ghanaian keeper.
On 70 minutes, Uzoho made a brilliant save parrying a well drilled left foot shot away for a corner.
The Eagles thought they had won a penalty after a Ghanaian defender handled the ball inside the box, but after consultations with VAR, the decision was overturned due to a foul by Iheanacho in the buildup to the incident.
With three minutes left, Ghana broke on the left but the delivery evaded everybody.
By James Agberebi
29 Comments
Great game Ghana. Anything is possible in Abuja
Eguavoen should leave the team tactical job to Amunuke he should also leave the team selection to Amuneke. There was no game plan and identification in todays match. Congratulations for making sure of a decent second leg in Abuja where we hope to slay the Stars for a place in the World Cup at Qatar.
Amunike is another mediocre.
You are right. They both appear to be clueless. Even if we qualify for the World Cup, I don’t think the current coaching crew should be allowed to take the team to the World Cup. The next game in Abuja may be worse than today’s because the Eagles will be playing under pressure.
Good game for the eagles in front of ferrocious Ghanaian fans.
Pressure dey Nigeria top now
Lol…..you know football at all so???
How can pressure be on the SE?
The boys did well!
That stadium was tensed, hostile and packed full of screaming supporters, yet our boys held their nerve.
Ghana played like it was the World Cup final. Infact, if they had played like this in the last AFCON, they wouldn’t have been eliminated so early.
I am confident our boys will do us proud in the return leg.
Up Super Eagles!
The name Black Stars send shivers down the spines of Nigerians. Well it’s a very unique name
Because Ghana has talented players than u anyday and everyday
I told y’all that Nigerian is QUANTITY
GHANA IS QUALITY
And didn’t Ghana win the match?
We didn’t but u know who has the talented and quality players between the two teams
I told y’all that, u ll see a talented Ghanaian side that ll turned out and I was right
I also said that egu is one dimensional coach who doesn’t know how to structured his team on the field and I was right too
I also said that, every Ghanaian player was ONCE A MIDFIELDER and we prove our midfield supremacy todays game!!
In abuja, egu ll open up to look for the killer and judging from how Ghanaians played tonight, we ll score a goal or two if the Nigerians eventually open up to search for a goal!!
Ghana of course has the quality and talent more than Nigerians and y’all saw it today
U all know that Ghana outplayed, outmuscled u today!!
That’s not true; you did say we were going to loose the match. Pls, kindly keep your integrity..
Egauvenon ll open up in Abuja and Ghana ll score
Nigeria has ten behind the ball but in Abuja they ll open up and Ghana can score
Eguavoen is just one dimensional coach as I said and he didn’t have anything different today! Wing play
This qualifer is still tossed up and if Nigeria score in ghana, Ghana will also score
Nigeria has no midfielders but Ghana does
So, it’s Ghana that won’t open up?
Clap for yourself, great analyst.
U have no football brain
Is NIGERIAN home and they ll open up!
We ll see the real Nigeria in Abuja and we ll know how they ll copy when they open up
Mind your business. If we don’t have anything, if indeed SE don’t possess those things you made mention of, it should be your advantage,Why are you trying to shame us with it..ko jor jare; a display of Inferiority complex by you and your devil star..
Abeg rest..
I just hope this will get to coach Egu somehow…
First. Good job to you guys. Great result from that first leg. It was 11men against over 40.000 people.
However, I thought Coach Egu made his substitution too early like Jay Jay Okocha rightly said on supersport.
From me. I think there was no reason to substitute Zaidu for Bassey. Zaidu had a decent game. I was trying to fix the tactical switch between both. The only reason I could arrive at is that we want to cap-tie Bassey. Other than that. Let’s have Zaidu for the second leg.
Going forward. I strongly believe in this team. The Stars will fall & will fail to shine in the second leg.
My pick.
Uzoho.
Aina Ekong Balogun Zaidu.
Etebo Bonke (If fit, otherwise we go for a like for like in Onyeka) and of course Aribo to complete the midfield trio.
Let’s put the pressure on them with the attacking trio of;
Dennis Osimen & Simon
Kelechi did a massive job tonight in dropping deep to defend. We got what we played for. Now let’s take the game to them as the best form of defence is to attack.
This is just my opinion but whoever the coaches pick we will support. Eagles will soar.
9ja all the way!
@Selfmade: This is clearly a selfmade 6feet for the black stars. We will open up? Yes! Black stars won’t? Naaaaaaa. The pressure will be on you & you won’t be able to withstand the pressure for 90mins. Ghana will go out. Quote this.
And that’s where Ghana will play and carve up the shaker NIGERIAN midfield up
This qualifer is far from over
You will loose I bet you
A very dynamic Ghanaian midfield. Great talents by all standards, now Nigerians have no option than to open the game in Abuja. That’s when this game go really be
Its a lie my freind
So for your eyes na defense them played today?
The game is far from over.
Ghana’s fluidity in midfield will win the game in Abuja.
Go Ghana !!!
Go Ghana!
Yes, you said it. Ghana-must-go (out of our way).
Come to ghana and see NIGERIAN economy refugees lol
That joke is dried up and is on Nigeria now!!
Nigeria is big but it’s citizens are running away from it because is big for …… lol
Ghana will go home with 2 goals from Abuja. That was a paneity they escaped today. They can’t escape such a blatant foal in Abuja and get away with it.