2022 has been a pretty awful one so far for the Black Stars. After all, they had one of the worst Afcon tournaments in living memory, failing to win a single game and failing to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time since 2006. The defeat to Comoros was particularly galling for Ghana fans. Yes, Andre Ayew’s early red card was pivotal to the final result, but losing to the tiny island nation felt like a low point in the recent history of Ghanian football.
Still, the team can make amends for that in a few weeks in the looming CAF Playoffs for qualification to World Cup 2022. As most fans are aware, there are five two-legged ties featuring African in late March, with the five victors sealing their places at Qatar in November. The matchups are as follows: Senegal vs.Egypt (in a repeat of the AFCON Final), Cameroon vs. Algeria, DR Congo vs. Morocco, Mali vs. Tunisia, and Ghana vs. Nigeria.
Game feels too close to call
Obviously, the draw was going to be tough for Ghana, as they were seeded in the lower pot and could have got any one of Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria, or Algeria. But there should be some confidence that they can overcome Nigeria, even if things haven’t looked so rosy of late. When released, the football betting odds will suggest a tight fixture between two evenly matched teams, both of whom have underachieved of late.
Indeed, some might claim that the pressure is fully on Nigeria to deliver, whereas Ghana have a shot at nothing given the lower expectations (compounded by a managerial change after the woeful form at AFCON). That might sound simplistic to fans of the Black Stars who believe their team will prevail, but there is a growing sense that Nigeria’s management is not making the best of a squad blessed with talent. In short, both teams have issues.
Of course, we cannot fail to mention the rivalry between the Black Stars and the Super Eagles. The meeting on 24th March at the Cape Coast Stadium for the 1st leg will be the 50th time the two West African nations have met competitively in their history. Ghana have won 21, Nigeria 10, and 18 of the games so far have been drawn.
Gyan stresses the unpredictability of matchup
But the rivalry also means things will be fierce and unpredictable. That’s the view of Asamoah Gyan, who recently told TV3 that “you cannot predict” what will happen on the pitch. Gyan talked up the rivalry of the two nations and suggested that concentration was key to success. The former Ghana striker was keen to stress that Ghana had every chance of making it to the World Cup. A big performance will be needed in the home time first, however, and Ghana must have something to take to Abuja on 27th March for the 2nd leg.
The fixtures will also be a huge test for Ghana interim coach Otto Addo. Given the job on 9th February, he has precious little time to work out a battle plan for the World Cup. Still, Addo knows the players inside and out from his days as Ghana’s chief talent scout. Can he, in just a few weeks, turn this team who flopped so badly at AFCON into World Cup hopefuls? We will find out very soon.
