On paper, Nigeria look to be the stronger side compared to their arch-rivals Ghana, as both countries intensify preparations for their crucial Qatar 2022 World Cup two-legged playoff on March 25th and 29th.
Super Eagles handlers released the 32-man list for the matches on Friday, with the fears of many Nigerians football fans stirring them again in the face
The list would make Ghana coach, Otto Addo, and his technical advisor, Chris Hughton, shiver to their souls, but can take advantage of the weaknesses in the Nigerian team, which are the defence and goalkeeping areas.
The Ghanaians are referring to the matches against Nigeria as a “derby”, underlining how serious and important the games are to them. They have a superior head-to-head against Nigeria, were dismal at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), but in a derby, anything is possible.
Nigeria will overrun the Ghanaians in the attack, with the likes of Victor Osimhen and Emmanuel Dennis, who both missed the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon, and possibly in the midfield, as Joe Aribo and Wilfred Ndidi have been great for Leicester City and Rangers this campaign.
But Nigeria’s troubles may again be underlined in the central defence, a worry which has been around since the tenure of the former Eagles handler Gernot Rohr. The Nigerian defence line, particularly in the middle, has been lacking in quality. This is an open secret that no one pretended about during the group stage of the qualifiers.
Three of the seven defenders invited for the Ghana clashes; Leon Balogun, William Troost-Ekong and Olaoluwa Aina, two of whom are centre-back, who have always been starters for Eagles, are particularly having a challenging season at their European clubs.
Balogun has spent as much time on the sideline as playing for Rangers this term because of injury, which also denied him 2021 AFCON appearance for Nigeria. Troost-Ekong, who is the assistant captain of team, has not kicked a ball in competitive game for Watford since Nigeria got eliminated at AFCON on January 23, same as Aina who has even been put up for sale by his Italian club, Torino.
Kenneth Omeruo who has got some game time at his second division club Leganes since AFCON, has been out of action for the past two weeks. Bassey, who is returning to the team after a previous invite, has never played for the Eagles.
Nigeria continues to overlook Hoffenheim defender, Kevin Akpoguma, who is strong, can play in the centre-back, tall and plies his trade in one of Europe’s top five leagues, the German Bundesliga. Akpoguma has made 18 league appearances for the club this season, and has scored two goals, registering three assists, taking advantage of his height.
The ‘fine boy’ goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye, who is again expected to be in goal for the Eagles, has been leaking goals at his Dutch club, Sparta Rotterdam this season. Apart from Nigerian football fans blaming him for Eagles exit the AFCON, Okoye has only kept three clean sheets in 20 league matches this season, conceding 29 goals in the process.
