Nigeria, Ghana World Cup playoff too close to call, says Asamoah Gyan

Nigeria were eliminated at the last 16 stages of the 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), while Ghana got knocked out at the group stages

By Kehinde Okeowo

The long-standing rivalry between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and their West African neighbours, Black Stars of Ghana has once again come to the fore.  

Asamoah Gyan while speaking on the forthcoming 2022 World Cup playoffs between his country and Nigeria next month, said the mouthwatering encounter can go either way.

The former Sunderland striker made this known in an interview with a Ghana  TV station, TV3 recently.  

The Black Stars were knocked out at the group stages of the 33rd edition of AFCON in Cameroon, while Nigeria were ousted by Tunisia at the rounds of 16.

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According to Gyan, it’s too close to call the winner of the two-legged encounter between the arch-rivals, as any of them could win the encounter.  

He went on to say The Black Stars will need to focus on the clash and do their utmost best on the pitch if they want to go to the 2022 Qatar World Cup. 

He said, “Ghana and Nigeria are rivals, you cannot predict. 

“Anybody can win, so we just have to stay focused and do what they have to do on the field.”

However, based on their current forms and FIFA ranking, Nigeria should be the favourite to go through. They are currently ranked as the 3rd best team in Africa while Ghana are ranked in the 7th position. 

Ghana will host the first leg of the encounter at the Cape Coast Stadium, Central Region, Ghana on March 24, while the return leg will be at the MKO Abiola Stadium Abuja, three days later. 

The Black Stars last faced the Super Eagles at the 2010 AFCON in Angola and Asamoah Gyan won the game for Ghana.   

Kehinde Okeowo:
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