It is no longer news that Nigeria and Ghana will clash in a two-legged playoff match in March for a ticket to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar later this year.

The two games between the two West African giants is one of the five playoff games involving African countries in the CAF qualifying section.

While Egypt vs Senegal and Cameroon vs Algeria may be the games to watch, Nigeria’s clash against Ghana is the biggest historically.

Both countries have had a rivalry that dates back to 1950. It is not just football that makes Ghana and Nigeria rivals.

The music, culture, food and economy also contributes hugely to their rivalry. Surprisingly, it is also what connects the two nations.

In other words, we can call Nigeria and Ghana frenemies. When the two nations were drawn together in the World Cup playoffs, it was the trending topic on social media, with many calling it the Jollof derby.

Both nations claim to have the best Jollof rice (a popular rice dish from West Africa), so it is only fair it is dubbed the Jollof derby.

It has also been called the Shatta Wale vs Burna Boy derby after the former accused Nigerian artists of not doing more to help the growth of Ghanaian artists.

These factors have added more spice to the two games. But before the two matches, how do they measure against each other.

Head-to-Head

Ghana have the upper hand here, with 21 wins to Nigeria’s ten. In fact, the Super Eagles have not beaten the Black Stars since 2006.

The Black Stars have won three of the last four games between the two sides, with the other game ending in a draw.

Recent form makes Nigeria the favourites

However, while Nigeria have an inferior record, they are the favourites going into the game because of their recent form.

Both teams played at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, but Ghana failed to qualify from a group that had Comoros, Morocco and Gabon.

Although Nigeria did not fare better, losing to Tunisia in the Round of 16, they still showed their quality, winning all their group games, including the opening match against runners-up, Egypt.

Team quality

Again, Nigeria trumps Ghana as they have the better players on paper. The likes of Victor Osimhen, Emmanuel Dennis, Wilfred Ndidi, Paul Onuachu, Moses Simon are all big performers for their respective clubs in Europe’s top leagues.

While Ghana have some exciting young players, Thomas Partey is the only big name that plays for a reputable club in Europe’s top leagues.

Coaching

Ghana sacked their coach Milovan Rajevac following the AFCON disaster and replaced him with Chris Hughton, who will be assisted by ex-Borussia Dortmund assistant coach Otto Addo and ex-Dutch international George Boateng.

In Hughton, the Black Stars possess a manager with enough Premier League experience, having managed the likes of Newcastle, Brighton and Norwich.

Meanwhile, Nigeria stuck with Austin Eguavoen despite the criticism he received following Nigeria’s loss to Tunisia.

The Super Eagles were the clear favourites going into the game, but the Carthage Eagles flipped the script to secure a 1-0 victory, exposing Eguavoen’s tactical limitations.

Eguavoen now has the chance to show he has learnt from that defeat by going toe-to-toe with Hughton. He can count on help from his former teammate Emmanuel Amuneke, who has been appointed as the team’s assistant coach.

How will the games turn out 

Ghana will host the first leg in Cape Coast on March 25 before travelling to Abuja for the second leg four days later.

The Super Eagles will be the favourites on paper, but in a derby, form goes out of the window. Nonetheless, the three-time African champions will still fancy their chances, although they need to avoid defeat in the first leg.

Super Eagles striker delivered an impressive shift as Fabian Ruiz’s late strike helped Napoli beat Lazio 2-1 in their Serie A clash on Sunday night.

Osimhen had cut a frustrated figure in the Europa League clash against Barcelona on Thursday night, but he played his part to ensure his side went top of the Italian top-flight.

The Nigerian could have added to his seven league goals this season but was denied on two occasions by Lazio’s goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha.

But despite his lack of goals, Osimhen still put in a decent shift for Luciano Spalletti’s men. The 23-year-old was not shy of getting into challenges, even though he was still wearing the mask designed for him after returning from his facial injury.

Osimhen’s failure to score did not deny Napoli the win, though. The Neapolitans knew they would go top ahead of the game after AC Milan and Inter Milan dropped points.

However, it was Lazio that came close to scoring in the first half, but Luis Alberton could not convert from close range.

Napoli came out more determined in the second half, however, and they got their reward when Lorenzo Insigne fired in a superb strike in the 62nd minute.

Insigne’s goal appeared to be the winner until Pedro sent in a brilliant strike two minutes from time. However, there was to be more drama as Ruiz’s excellent curler from the edge of the box in the third minute of added time secured all three points for the Neapolitans.

Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo has named Kanu Nwankwo, Samuel Eto’o and Dwight Yorke as some of the players he watched while growing up.

Ighalo is one of the best strikers to emerge from Nigeria in recent years, having scored 119 goals so far in his playing career.

The 32-year-old, who grew up in Ajegunle as a football-loving fan, revealed that a couple of former Nigerian players were his idols while growing up, and he also watched a lot of Eto’o and Yorke.

Ighalo said he admired both Kanu and Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, who are arguably two of the greatest Nigerian players ever.

Eto’o is Africa’s greatest player, having turned out for clubs like Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea during his illustrious playing career.

Dwight Yorke had a successful spell with Manchester United and he also had a lot of influence on Ighalo, who later played for the Red Devils.

“As a child growing up, I watched a lot of players, Nigerian players, Ighalo said on Watford’s Youtube page. 

“I watched Kanu, I watched Jay-Jay Okocha, I watched Samuel Eto’o, Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole.”

“I watched a lot of strikers growing up, and I can’t say one is particularly personally I watched.”

“I watched strong guys because I’m a striker, I watched the way they played,” Ighalo added.

The Nigerian international also revealed he is a big fan of former Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil and current Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

Super Eagles coach Austin Eguavoen will be worried over the fitness of Victor Osimhen after the striker went off with a suspected injury in Napoli’s 4-2 loss to Barcelona last night.

Although Osimhen played for 73 minutes in the clash at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Thursday night, he walked off with a heavy strapping on his knee, raising speculations he might have picked up another injury.

Osimhen appears to have been nursing the injury since the first leg of the clash last week. The Nigerian international had a taping in the reverse fixture at the Camp Nou. At the same time, Spalletti also revealed he did not start against Cagliari on Monday because he was not fit enough.

It now appears he has aggravated the issue in the match against Xavi Hernandez’s men on Thursday. Napoli are yet to release a statement, but Osimhen’s fitness will be a big worry for Nigeria ahead of next month’s clash against Ghana.

The Super Eagles play their West African rivals in two massive World Cup playoff games and will need their star striker to boost their chances of qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar.

Osimhen’s potential absence will be a blow for Nigeria after he missed their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations campaign due to a facial injury.

The ex-Lille man only returned to competitive action last month after eight weeks on the sidelines.

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen cut a frustrated figure as Napoli’s Europa League journey ended on Thursday night following a 4-2 loss to Barcelona in the second leg of their Round of 16 clash at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

The match was evenly poised after both sides played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Camp Nou Stadium last week.

Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti named a strong lineup with Osimhen leading the line. The home side started on the front foot, but it was Barcelona that took the lead through Jordi Alba.

The Spanish fullback slotted past Alex Meret in the eighth minute after being played through by Adama Traore, who did well to hold off two defenders following a Barcelona break from Napoli’s corner.

Xavi Hernandez’s men doubled their advantage five minutes later through Frenkie De Jong, who fired in a brilliant curler from outside the box.

However, just as it looked like Barcelona were going to run away with it, Napoli got back into the game through Lorenzo Insigne’s penalty after Osimhen was tripped inside the box by Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

It turned out to be Osimhen’s only meaningful contribution in the entire game. The Nigerian international managed just one shot off target and made one key pass, while he also had a disappointing 44% pass accuracy.

Osimhen’s performance is a reflection of Napoli as a team on the night, and it was not a surprise when the game was wrapped in the 45th minute as Pique made it 3-1 with a brilliant finish.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang extended Barca’s lead after the break with another sumptuous strike. Although Matteo Politano pulled one back three minutes from time, the damage had already been done, with Barca running out 4-2 winners.

Italy’s Euro 2020 winner Giovanni Di Lorenzo has urged his Napoli teammates to do more to help Victor Osimhen when they take on Barcelona in the second leg of their Europa round of 32 encounter on Thursday night.

Osimhen is Napoli’s top scorer this season with 11 goals in all competitions, but he cut a frustrated figure in Napoli’s clash against Barcelona last week.

The 23-year-old was left alone up front, but struggled against Barca’s backline. He was flagged offside three times, while he only managed just one shot throughout his time on the pitch.

Osimhen did bounce back with a goal against Cagliari on Monday night, but Di Lorenzo wants his Napoli teammates to support the Nigerian in attack.

“Surely Osimhen should not be doing the crosses, Lorenzo said ahead of the clash against Barca, as per Calcio Napoli 24.

“We must try to accompany him more and bring him more playable balls,” he added.

Osimhen will be seeking his fifth goal in the Europa League this season when Napoli welcome Barcelona to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

A win for either side will guarantee passage to the round of 16.

Chelsea legend Didier Drogba is the latest big name to praise former Nigeria captain Austin Jay-Jay Okocha. The 2012 Champions League winner with Chelsea took to his Instagram to praise Okocha with the caption ‘My Number 10.

Drogba posted himself and Okocha with the caption ahead of the African legends match against former Senegal players to celebrate the inauguration of the 50,000 world-class Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Senegal.

The former Nigeria captain showed why he is highly revered by his colleagues as he scored the equaliser for the African legends after Khalilou Fadiga had put Senegal ahead with a brilliant strike.

Khalilou Fadiga still got it. And the iconic celebration to go with. pic.twitter.com/up7tlUm5Vc

— Juliet Bawuah (@julietbawuah) February 22, 2022

Both Drogba and Okocha joined a host of other African legends, including Emmanuel Eboue, Samuel Eto’o, Patrick Mboma, Asamoah Gyan, Emmanuel Adebayor and others to play against a Senegalese team full of former internationals.

Asamoah Gyan, Samuel Osei Kuffour, Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba, Aristide Bance and Emmanuel Adebayor were among the football legends invited to the opening of the Diamniadio Olympic Stadium in Senegal.#Senegal #African #Olympics pic.twitter.com/khkWkIlwDf

— Panafricafootball.com (@PanAfricaFooty) February 23, 2022

The ex-Galatasaray man is not the only former player who has praised Okocha in recent times. Cameroon’s FA president and former Barcelona striker Eto’o also said Okocha would’ve been put on the same pedestal as Ronaldinho if he was not African.

Ronaldinho himself had also said in the past that the ex-Bolton man was one of the No. 10s he admired during his playing career, while ex Liverpool striker Peter Crouch once said he could watch the Nigerian all-day.

Okocha was one of the gifted players Africa has ever produced. The 48-year-old represented Nigeria 73 times, winning the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and the gold medal in the football event of the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.

He played for clubs like Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahce, PSG and Bolton during his career.

But Ndidi is not the only quality player the three-time African champions have in that role as there is one other guy called Frank Onyeka.

Career

Onyeka was born on January 1st 1998, in Lagos and started his career with FC FC Ebedei- A local club based in Ijebu-Ode Ogun State.  He left Ebedei in 2016 to sign for Midtjylland, playing for the club’s U-19 team.

However, after just a year with the youth team, he was promoted to the club’s first team.

In his first full season at the club, he made just six appearances in the Danish top-flight. The following season (2018/2019), he featured in twice the games he played in his first season.

He also made his Champions League debut in a qualifier against FC Astana, while he also featured three times in the Europa League qualifiers.

During his time in Denmark, he was regarded as one of the best in his position. He made 123 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring 17 goals and registering ten assists.

While Onyeka can play as a defensive midfielder, he can also function as a central midfielder, which shows his versatility on the ball.

The 24-year-old left Midtjyalland last summer after four years at the club to join Brentford. His time at the Brentford Community Stadium has not really been impressive, but there is no need to worry as it is just his first season in the Premier League.

He has made 18 league appearances for The Bees this season but was denied his first goal in the match against Newcastle.

International Career

Onyeka made his Super Eagles debut in a friendly match against Algeria in October 2020. Since then, he has gone on to win three more caps, including one at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria’s two-legged World Cup playoff matches against Ghana now have new dates after CAF decided to move it from the original dates.

The first leg was initially scheduled for March 24 in Ghana before the Super Eagles welcome their west African rivals three days later.

However, the first leg will now hold on March 25, with the return leg slated for March 29. The Black Stars will host the first leg at the Accra Sports Stadium, with kickoff time set for 8;30 pm Nigerian time.

The second leg will take place at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, with kickoff time set for 6; 00 pm Nigerian time.

The winner across the two legs will qualify as one of Africa’s five representatives at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Nigeria are seeking a seventh World Cup appearance and fourth consecutive qualification, while Ghana are hoping to return to the World scene for the first time since 2014.

Former England international Alan Shearer has named Super Eagles striker Emmanuel Dennis in his latest Premier League team of the week.

Dennis ended his goal drought on Saturday in Watford’s stunning win over Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon.

The 24-year-old scored the only goal of the game, heading home a brilliant cross from Senegalese AFCON 2021 winning star Ismaila Sarr.

It was Dennis ninth league goal in 22 games for the Hornets this season. He has now been involved in 58% (9 goals, 5 assists) of the goals Watford have scored in the Premier League this season.

Dennis performance over the weekend caught the eye of Shearer, who included him in his TOTW. The Newcastle legend named Dennis in a three-pronged attack that included Mohamed Salah and Wout Weghorst.

@alanshearer selects his Matchweek 26 Team of the Week

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/w0rZT0FgR6

— Premier League (@premierleague) February 21, 2022

Harry Kane is also in the squad, forming a three-man partnership with Emile Smith Rowe and Joe Willock.

Dennis will hope to continue in the same vein when Watford welcome Crystal Palace at Vicarage Road on Wednesday.