Home-based Eagles, Black Galaxies Battle for CHAN 2025 Ticket
JOLLOF DERBY IN ACCRA
Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles will take on Ghana’s Black Galaxies this evening as both countries intensify their search for the ticket to the 8th African Nations Championship (CHAN) to be jointly hosted by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda from February 1st to end of the month.
Already, the Home-based Eagles Stand-in Head Coach, Daniel Ogunmodede, has picked ageless Kano Pillars warhorse, Rabiu Ali, wing-back Sadiq Ishmael, centre-back Stephen Manyo, midfielders Musa Zayyad and Jide Fatokun, and forwards Anas Yusuf and Sikiru Alimi in an 18-man roster for today’s clash with Ghana at the Accra Sports Stadium, with kick-off set for 4pm Ghana time (5pm in Nigeria).
The gaffer also picked goalkeeper Henry Ozoemena, defender Victor Collins and forward Abubakar Adamu for the must-win two-leg fixture, with the Galaxies being the reason why Nigeria failed to qualify for the championship on two different occasions in the past, namely 2009 and 2023.
The Super Eagles B, with Ogunmodede and Coaches Fidelis Ilechukwu and Olatunji Baruwa in charge, had staggered training sessions over three weeks from the month of October, before a final training camp commenced at the Remo Stars Sports Institute, Ikenne-Remo three weeks ago.
Over the past 10 months, Nigeria have dominated Ghana at international level, starting with the Super Eagles’ 2-1 defeat of the Black Stars in a friendly match in Marrakech, Morocco – a first win at senior level for Nigeria against the West African rivals in 18 years.
The second leg will hold at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Saturday, 28th December, with the winner on aggregate to pick a ticket to the 8th African Nations Championship taking place in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, 1st – 28th February, 2025.
