Former Ghana international Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has advised Black Galaxies head coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani to avoid adopting a defensive strategy in the second leg of their 2024 Championship of African Nations (CHAN) qualifying playoff.
The first leg, played at the Accra Sports Stadium, ended in a goalless draw, leaving both teams with everything to fight for in the return fixture scheduled for December 28 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Nigeria.
Agyemang-Badu, who played a pivotal role in Ghana’s 2009 CHAN campaign, stressed the importance of securing a victory to avoid compounding Ghana’s recent football woes.
“We should be very careful not to go and defend,” he said, as quoted by Joy Sports. “This is only one game, and when you lose, you are not going anywhere. We can’t do that [lose] because, mind you, we didn’t qualify for the [2025] Africa Cup of Nations.
“If the CHAN too, we don’t qualify, then there will be a little bit of disaster. So, we will support them, pray for them, and they [Galaxies] should go all out and win the game for us in the return leg.”
The winner of the two-legged tie will earn a spot in the CHAN 2025 tournament, set to take place in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Ghana, who qualified for the last CHAN edition by defeating Nigeria on penalties, will be aiming to replicate that success, while Nigeria looks to end their two-edition absence from the tournament.
