Vicarage Road will today (Tuesday 11 October, 2011) host the match between the Black Stars of Ghana and the Super Eagles of Nigeria in an international friendly in Watford, England.
The match which will be live on MultiTV Joy Sports Channel is build on the back of a consistent Black Stars’ rising fortunes in both Africa and on the global soccer scene since their maiden appearance at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
In sharp contrast however is a Nigerian side that has endured a disappointing campaign in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series; only last Saturday, as the Eagles were struggling against a modest Guinean side in Abuja, the star-studded Black Stars were runaway winners in Khartoum with a 2-0 victory over hosts Sudan to top Group I.
On this current form, Head Coach Samson Siasia and his boys must know that Ghana will not be an easy pie as they have already suffered three back-to-back defeats at the hands of their eternal rivals including a 1 – 4 loss on February 6, 2007 in an international friendly in London.
The Black Stars who arrived in London on Sunday have no notable absentees from the squad that played Sudan over the weekend. Coach Goran Stevanovic has however excused defender Daniel Opare and has dropped three home-based players; Ernest Sowah, Yaw Frimpong and Rashid Sumaila with Sowah’s position as the second-choice keeper taken over by U23 shot-stopper Daniel Agyei.
For the Super Eagles, one of the major culprits in their failure against Guinea last weekend, Peter Odemwinge who promised that the Eagles will climb on the back of their more prosperous opponents to compensate their fans will not take part in the friendly as he is set to undergo a surgery on his troubled ankle. Two additions have therefore been made to the team, with US-based Emmanuel Ekpo and Ugo Ukah from Widzew Lodz of Poland joining.
The Nigerian team will take leverage on the fact that they will be the underdogs in today’s game and they won’t be under any pressure to beat the Black Stars.
Join Joy Sports on MultiTV from 5.00pm as we bring you live back to back soccer action on 'Super Tuesday' with a double header; Germany vs. Belgium kicks off in the last of the Euro 2012 qualifiers at 5.00 pm closely followed by a prematch analysis at 7.30pm on the Ghana vs. Nigeria friendly. Kick off is at 8.00pm.
HEAD-TO-HEAD CLASHES (Since 2001)
January 28, 2010: Ghana 1 – 0 Nigeria (Afcon)
February 3, 2008: Ghana 2 – 1 Nigeria (Afcon)
February 6, 2007: Nigeria 1 – 4 Ghana (Friendly)
January 23, 2006: Nigeria 1 – 0 Ghana (Afcon)
February 3, 2002: Nigeria 1 – 0 Ghana (Afcon)
May 30, 2003: Nigeria 3 – 1 Ghana (Friendly)
December 15, 2002: Ghana 0 – 1 Nigeria (Friendly)
February 3, 2002: Nigeria 1 – 0 Ghana (Afcon)
July 29, 2001: Nigeria 3 – 0 Ghana (WCQ)
March 11, 2001: Ghana 0 – 0 Nigeria (WCQ)
Source: MultiTV Sports Desk
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