Nigeria’s Super Eagles are set to
confront their biggest rivals in
African football, the Black Stars of
Ghana on Tuesday in an
international friendly at the Vicarage
Road Stadium in London.
The Nigerians are going into this
game on the back of the
disappointment of failing to qualify
for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations
following a 2 -2 draw against Guinea
on Saturday in Abuja.
On the other hand, the Ghanaians
defeated Sudan 2 – 0 to qualify for
the 2012 Afcon, and are tipped to go
ahead and inflict another blow on
their Nigerian counterparts.
The Super Eagles have suffered
three back-to-back defeats in the
hands of their eternal rivals including
a 1 – 4 loss on February 6, 2007 in
an international friendly in London.
The last time Nigeria defeated Ghana
was on January 23, 2006 in an
Africa Cup of Nations game.
The bragging rights belong to the
Ghanaians ahead of Tuesday’s clash
in London.
The first real competitive match
between Ghana and Nigeria took
place on August 28, 1960, according
to Fifa’s official website.
On that occasion, Ghana ran over
Nigeria by 4 – 1 in a Fifa World Cup
qualifier at the Accra Sports
Stadium, Accra.
The clash in 1960 was “the first-ever
preliminary match south of the
Sahara” according to Fifa.
In the 4 – 1 win of 1960, Edward
Acquah, Edward Boateng, Aggrey
Fynn and Mohamadu Salisu got
Ghana’s goals while Dejo Fayemi
was Nigeria’s goal scorer.
But soccer pundits say that the clash
between the two biggest West
African football team dates back
beyond 1960.
Records available show that the
Ghana and Nigeria may have first
clashed on May 28, 1950 in a
friendly game in which the Red
Devils of Nigeria, as they were
known triumphed by a lone goal
over Ghana.
However, five years later the
Nigerians suffered their biggest loss
to date to their rivals when they lost
0 – 7 on October 30, 1955 in the
Jalco Cup.
And Nigeria’s biggest win over
Ghana happened in the Kwame
Nkrumah Cup on February 23, 1963
when they won 5 – 0.
No doubt, it is likely that Samson
Siasia could make changes to the
side that started against Guinea on
Saturday.
HEAD-TO-HEAD CLASHES
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)
August 28, 1999: Nigeria 0 – 0
Ghana (Friendly)
March 9, 1994: Nigeria 0 – 0 Ghana
(Friendly)
January 23, 1992: Nigeria 1 – 2 Ghana
(Afcon)
April 13, 1991: Nigeria 0 – 0 Ghana
(Afcon qualifier)
September 2, 1990: Ghana 1 – 0
Nigeria (Afcon qualifier)
February 6, 1987: Nigeria 1- 2 Ghana
(Wafu Cup)
October 30, 1983: Nigeria 1 – 2
Ghana (Olympic qualifier)
March 8, 1978: Nigeria 1 – 1 Ghana
(Afcon)
August 31, 1975: Ghana 3 – 0 Nigeria
(Ghana Festival)
August 24, 1975: Ghana 1-2 Nigeria
(Ghana Festival)
February 25, 1973: Ghana 0 – 0
Nigeria (WCQ)
February 10, 1973: Nigeria 0 – 2
Ghana (WCQ)
May 18, 1969: Ghana 1 – 1 Nigeria
(WCQ)
May 10, 1969: Nigeria 2 – 1 Ghana
(WCQ)
October 21, 1967: Nigeria 2 – 1
Ghana (Azikiwe Cup)
September 28, 1967: Nigeria 1 – 1
Ghana (Friendly)
February 12, 1967: Nigeria 2 – 0
Ghana (Azikiwe Cup)
November 7, 1965: Nigeria 3 – 0
Ghana (Azikiwe Cup)
February 23, 1963: Nigeria 5 – 0
Ghana (Nkrumah Cup)
December 17, 1961: Nigeria 5 – 1
Ghana (Friendly)
June 1, 1961: Nigeria 3 – 0 Ghana
(Friendly)
April 30, 1961: Nigeria 2 – 2 Ghana
(Afcon qualifier)
September 28, 1960: Nigeria 4 – 1
Ghana (WCQ)
September 10, 1960: Nigeria 2 – 2
Ghana (WCQ)
August 28, 1960: Ghana 4 – 1 Nigeria
(WCQ)
November 21, 1959: Nigeria 5 – 2
Ghana (Jalco Cup)
October 25, 1959: Nigeria 4 – 1
Ghana (Olympic qualifier)
October 27, 1957: Nigeria 3 – 3
Ghana (Jalco Cup)
October 30, 1955: Ghana 7 – 0
Nigeria (Jalco Cup)
October 11, 1953: Nigeria 1 – 0 Ghana
(Jalco Cup)
May 28, 1950: Nigeria 1 – 0 Ghana
(Friendly)