Ghana will aim to please the fans after a horror showing in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations as they prepare for an intense derby matchup with Nigeria.
The Black Stars crashed out of the AFCON in the group stages, failing to record a single victory while putting up subpar performances.
Nigeria on the other hand, aim to get one over a familiar foe as they aim to make their fourth consecutive World Cup appearance.
At the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi on Friday evening, the two outfits will be expected to put on a show.
Kick-off time
The match will start at 7:30 pm local time.
How they got there
Ghana laboured to first place in Group G with 13 points, level with South Africa who missed out on the final round due to goals scored.
The Black Stars netted just seven times in six games, the lowest tally recorded among the final 10 African teams. Otto Addo’s side also shipped in just three goals.
Nigeria earned the same number of points to clinch the top spot in Group C ahead of Cape Verde, Liberia, and the Central African Republic.
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The Super Eagles scored just nine goals and allowed three, highlighting slight struggles in finding the net and strong defensive output.
Head-to-head
The two teams have battled on 56 occasions so far. Ghana has recorded 25 victories with 91 goals scored with Nigeria winning 12 and scoring 57.
The Black Stars are currently on a four-game unbeaten run against Nigeria with the hopes of extending this in Cape Coast.
Key players
The Black Stars will look up to Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey who will be expected to captain the team in the absence of Andre Ayew.
Partey made his national team debut in 2016 and the former Atletico Madrid man has gone on to score 12 goals in 38 matches.
Nigeria has a plethora of stars to count on, but their most reliable is Al-Hilal striker Odion Ighalo, who makes a return to the team after missing the AFCON.
The 32-year-old has found the net 16 times for the Super Eagles in 35 games and will be aiming to break the hearts of Ghanaians.
Team News
Ghana will be without Andre Ayew, and Benjamin Tetteh due to suspensions. Abdul Baba Rahman remains injured since February and will not be involved.
Daniel-Kofi Kyereh is also a doubt for the game after missing training on Thursday due to a knock.
The Super Eagles will be without Wilfred Ndidi and Maduka Okoye, who have injuries and illness respectively. Nigeria included Ademola Lookman in the squad list for the first time. The Leicester City forward will be eager to make his mark.
Ghana predicted XI: Wollacott, Mensah, Djiku, Amartey, Odoi, Partey, Iddrisu, Kudus, Paintsil, Issahaku, Ayew
Nigeria predicted XI: Uzoho, Aina, Ekong, Omeruo, Ajayi, Aribo, Etebo, Chukweze, Simon, Ighalo, Osimhen.
Prediction
The game will be a tight one with both teams looking to get one over the other. But, with the home crowd available, the Black Stars will have an advantage over 90 minutes.
Ghana 2-0 Nigeria
By: Bill Eshun|3Sports|Ghana
