Nigeria and Ghana face off in a West African derby at Stade de Marrakech on Friday evening at 4:00 pm local time.
Both nations have endured turbulence since their Africa Cup of Nations campaigns, with Jose Peseiro no longer in situ for the AFCON runners-up, while Otto Addo has returned to the Black Stars dugout.
Match preview
Nigeria may have ended second at the Cup of Nations, but the Super Eagles head into their first meeting against Ghana since the Black Stars denied them a World Cup ticket still without a permanent head coach.
Finidi George looks set to lead the team out on Friday — he was part of the coaching set-up under Peseiro — but it remains to be seen if the Super Eagles legend gets the job permanently, especially after the nation’s federation bizarrely publicised the vacancy a fortnight back on their website, informing interested applicants to step forward.
In the interim, George being in charge theoretically should help the team’s continuity, with the retired winger not expected to rip everything up a month after the team’s AFCON failure.
Nigeria did not have a good record in friendly games under Peseiro, losing six of eight exhibition matches under the Portuguese trainer, with the sole success a 3-2 win over Mozambique in October 2023.
Fixtures against Ghana and Mali over the international break could help to change the awful run of results in such games, and George hopes to begin the process of a turnaround.
Facing Ghana in what is typically termed the “Jollof derby” on social media tends to be spicy, and the Black Stars are still reeling after their early AFCON 2023 exit.
Addo is back in the job after Chris Hughton’s departure following a group-stage elimination that witnessed no victories for the West African side, who have endured back-to-back early exits at the finals.
Having led the four-time African champions to the 2022 World Cup, the team’s federation have gone back to the 48-year-old, keen to get a similar outcome as he re-familiarises himself in the role before joining permanently at the end of the European season.
Having already avoided defeat in two meetings against Nigeria — a goalless encounter in Ghana and a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture in Abuja — Addo could go three unbeaten against the Super Eagles on Friday.
Having won one of their last eight games in all competitions — a 1-0 victory over Madagascar in World Cup qualifying the only success — the Black Stars hope to avoid the possibility of ending the evening with one win in nine.
Team News
Nigeria’s top performers at AFCON 2023 — Victor Osimhen and William Troost-Ekong — miss out, while Ola Aina and Zaidu Sanusi are absent.
The three-time African champions welcome Wilfred Ndidi back into the squad after he missed the Cup of Nations through injury, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Nathan Tella could start.
Ademola Lookman’s impact as a forward at the continental showpiece was undoubted, and the Atalanta man hopes to play in a similar role rather than be utilised as a winger, which is a possibility if George retains a three-man defence.
Jordan Ayew guarantees industry, and Antoine Semenyo, who recently netted two pivotal goals in Bournemouth’s 4-3 Premier League win over Luton Town, could hurt Nigeria’s backline.
Thomas Partey misses out, having just returned from injury with Premier League-contending Arsenal. Mohammed Kudus will also not be available for this fixture due to an injury.
Nigeria possible starting lineup:
Nwabali; Awaziem, Ajayi, Bassey; Osayi-Samuel, Ndidi, Iwobi, Onyemaechi; Tella, Lookman; Dessers
Ghana possible starting lineup:
Ati-Zigi; Lamptey, K. Adams, Salisu, G. Mensah, I. Baba, Salis; Issahaku, Nuamah, J. Ayew; Semenyo
