Our Goal Is To Qualify For CHAN

Our Goal Is To Qualify For CHAN

Interim head coach Daniel Ogunmodede stated on Thursday that the primary focus of the Super Eagles B players and coaching staff ahead of Saturday’s African Nations Championship…READ MORE…

qualifying match against Ghana’s Black Galaxies is to secure a victory that would propel Nigeria into the finals of the tournament scheduled for early next year.

The eighth edition of the CHAN tournament will take place in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda from February 1 to 28, 2025, with Nigeria and Ghana vying for one of the available spots.

The teams ended in a goalless draw in their first leg encounter in Accra last Sunday, setting the stage for a decisive match at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

Ogunmodede and his team have remained undistracted by the holiday season and are concentrating on achieving a win.

“We are making every effort to maintain our focus and avoid distractions. While we managed a scoreless draw in the first leg away, we are not letting that sway our mindset now that we are playing at home. Our goal was to score an away goal in Accra, and while that didn’t happen, we are determined for Saturday’s match,” Ogunmodede explained.

“We will approach the game with utmost urgency, as if our lives depend on it. Our main objective is to secure the win that will qualify us for the African Nations Championship finals in East Africa.”

While Nigeria displayed solid defense in Accra, relying on counter-attacks, they will need to adopt an aggressive strategy from the first whistle at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

The fierce regional rivalry, Ghana’s failure to qualify for the next Africa Cup of Nations, and the history of past encounters in the African Nations Championship suggest that Saturday’s match could be a highly charged affair.

The Black Stars, having missed qualification for the upcoming AFCON finals alongside Sudan, Angola, and Niger Republic, will give their all to ensure that the Super Eagles B do not face a similar fate. Ghana’s last absence from the Africa Cup of Nations was in 2004.

Historically, Ghana has dominated their matchups in the African Nations Championship against Nigeria, with the Eagles claiming victory in only one of their six previous meetings. Three of those encounters ended in draws without goals. Ghana secured a 3-2 win in Accra in 2008 and a 2-0 victory in 2022, even prevailing in the games that resulted in draws.

The 0-0 draw in Calabar in 2008 allowed Ghana to reach the inaugural CHAN finals in Ivory Coast due to their earlier 3-2 win in Accra, and they triumphed in a penalty shootout in 2014 after another scoreless semi-final match in South Africa.

Ogunmodede’s squad has achieved Nigeria’s best away result against Ghana in the African Nations Championship and is eager to secure a win in Uyo on Saturday.

In officiating news, the Confederation of African Football has appointed Moroccan referee Hamza El Fariq for the match, with Abdessamad Abertoune, Zakaria Bouchtaoui, and Hicham Temsamani serving as assistant referees and fourth official, respectively. Prince Kai Saquee from Sierra Leone will act as the match commissioner, while Miboti Moise from the Democratic Republic of Congo will serve as the referee assessor.

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