After the first leg at the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday ended in a scoreless draw, the battle between Nigeria and Ghana’s final qualifying match for the African Nations Championship next year is still to be decided.
With a series of chances, Ghana’s Black Galaxies controlled the first half, but they were unable to penetrate the Super Eagles defense led by Captain Nduka Junior.
In the fifteenth minute, Stephen Amankwoo managed to break through the Eagles’ defense, but his rising attempt narrowly missed Henry Ozoemena’s goalpost.
As the match turned into a ding-dong match between the regional powerhouses, Sikiru Alimi’s free kick, which lasted one minute, also went over the goal.
With the Eagles losing 2-3 to their hosts in 2008 and then being thrashed by two goals in 2022, the scoreless match is the best Nigeria has ever achieved against Ghana on the road in an African Nations Championship qualification match.
The winner on aggregate will represent WAFU B at the biennial championship reserved exclusively for professional football players plying their trade in their nation’s domestic leagues.
Both teams now anticipate the second leg of the match, which is scheduled for Saturday, December 28, 2024 at Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda will host the eighth edition of the African Nations Championship from February 1–28, 2025.
