- Date: 22nd March, Friday
- Kick-off Time: 3:00 PM (GMT)
- Venue: Marrakech
Nigeria vs Ghana Preview:
The two African giants, Nigeria and Ghana are all set to lock horns as they meet in an international friendly in Morocco this week. Nigeria will look to recover from their heartbreaking 2-1 loss in the AFCON final to Ivory Coast back in February. The Nigerians fought tooth and nail in the final, but unfortunately for them it wasn’t meant to be. However, they will look forward to bouncing back with a convincing victory against Ghana.
On the other end of the spectrum are Ghana. The Ghanians will return to square one as they try to restart with new manager Otto Addo at the helm. Ghana had an extremely underwhelming campaign in the AFCON in the Group Stage itself. Now with the return of Otto Addo at the helm, Ghana will look to start their new era on a positive note by beating the extremely dominative Nigerian side.
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Nigeria vs Ghana Team News:
Nigeria:
Nigeria, too will enter the contest against Ghana with a new manager at the helm. After the heartbreak in the AFCON final, gaffer Jose Peseiro decided to bid farewell to the nation despite doing a phenomenal job.
The African nation has decided to hand out debuts to several promising players with a first call-up. Center-back Benjamin Tainimu has received his first-ever call-up for his nation while youngsters like Nathan Tella, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, and Tyronne Ebuehi have been called up. Experienced striker Victor Osimhen will lead the attack for Nigeria as the team heads to Morocco to face Nigeria and then Mali. In defense, Nigeria will rely on the leadership qualities of Gabriel Osho of Luton Town to lead the defense. The Nigerian has been one of the few highlights of the season for a rather meek Luton Town.
Ghana:
Otto Addo’s Ghana will look to revive their World Cup 2022 form with the return of Addo. Ghana are set to be without some big stars in the March international break due to injuries and other issues. Athletic Bilbao and Ghanian star Inaki Williams will not travel to Morocco with the squad as he has pulled out from the squad. The Ghanaian board confirmed his absence as the forward asked to rest and recover from his recent injuries. Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey will also be absent this international break for Ghana as he continues to recover from his recent injuries.
Meanwhile, Joseph Painstill will be unable to participate in Ghana as he sorts out visa issues after his recent shift to the United States. Ghana have also called up four players for a potential debut namely David Akologo, Ibrahim Osman, Nathaniel Adjei and Diomande Mohamed. The youngsters will look to make a good first impression on Otto Addo and the Ghanaian board.
Nigeria vs Ghana Predicted Lineups:
Nigeria Expected XI:
Stanley Nwabali (GK), Semi Ajayi, William Troost-Ekong (C), Calvin Bassey, Ola Aina, Frank Onyeka, Alex Iwobi, Zaidu Sanusi, Samuel Chukuweze, Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen
Ghana Expected XI:
Richard Ofori (GK), Denis Odoi, Alexander Djiku, Mohammed Sailisu, Gideon Mensah, Salis Abdul Samed, Majeed, Jordan Ayew, Mohammed Kudus, Andre Ayew, Antoine Semenyo
Nigeria vs Ghana Head-to-Head Record:
Since 2014, the two nations have faced each other four times. Interestingly only one game out of the four battles didn’t end in a draw with Ghana winning the game comfortably by a 2-0 margin. Nigeria will look to use their recent impressive record in Africa to earn a commanding victory.
Last four results:
- Ghana 2-0 Nigeria:- AFCON Qualification – 28 August, 2022
- Nigeria 1-1 Ghana:- World Cup Qual. – 29 March, 2022
- Ghana 0-0 Nigeria:- World Cup Qual. – 26 March, 2022
- Ghana 0-0 Nigeria:- AFCON – 30 January 2014
Nigeria vs Ghana Prediction:
The battle in Morocco will see Nigeria vs Ghana start a new era of football for both nations. While Ghana may have been better than Nigeria in recent years, Nigeria’s performance in the AFCON and Ghana’s fall from grace will definitely benefit Nigeria. While the squads seem evenly matched, Nigeria should have enough to win the game by a slender margin. Ghana will rue the absence of heavyweights like Inaki Williams, Thomas Partey, and Joseph Painstill. Nigeria and Ghana are both great technical sides and we might not witness a lot of goals. Nevertheless, Nigeria vs Ghana will be one mouth-watering contest to see as both teams look to win.
Predicted Score: Nigeria 2-1 Ghana
Nigeria vs Ghana Betting Tips and Odds:
Bookmakers expect less than 3 goals in the game and expect Nigeria to beat Ghana in a close-contested match.
- Nigeria win: 2.09
- Draw: 3.10
- Ghana win: 3.60
Odds Source: Oddspedia.com
Bookmaker: Stake
Where to watch Nigeria vs Ghana:
- Nigeria: AfroSport
- Ghana: GTA TV
- India: FanCode
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