Nigeria’s senior national team, the Super Eagles have been drawn to face the Black Stars of Ghana in the final play off for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In a draw conducted by the African football ruling body, the Confederation of Africa Football, on Saturday in Cameroon, Nigeria and Ghana are to meet on a home and away final play-off to vie for a ticket to feature at the next Copa Mundial slated for Qatar in November.
Ghana crashed out of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations after recording one draw and two defeats in the preliminaries of the continental event.
The Super Eagles on the other hand recorded three wins in three games in the prelims. Nigeria defeated Egypt 1-0, Sudan 3-1 and Guinea Bissau 2-0 to emerge the only team to win all games in the first round. According to the draw for the Qatar 2022 African series play-off draw held in Yaounde on Saturday evening, four –time African champions Ghana will host the first leg with the reverse encounter in Nigeria, both to hold between 24th – 29th March.
The draw was conducted by Samson Adamu, CAF’s Director of Competitions and African football legends El Hadj Diouf and Emmanuel Adebayor.
The Super Eagles emerged from a group comprising themselves, Liberia, Cape Verde and Central African Republic to be eligible for the play-offs, while the Black Stars prevailed over South Africa 1-0 on the final day in an explosive and controversial duel in Cape Coast. Ethiopia and Zimbabwe were the other teams in the pool.
Nigeria have played against Ghana more than any other country in the world in football, with a total of 57 senior matches between both countries in 71 years. Ghana have won 19 of those clashes with Nigeria winning 16, and 19 drawn.
DRAW AT A GLANCE
Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup (Africa final play offs)
Egypt v Senegal
Cameroon v Algeria
Ghana v Nigeria
DR Congo v Morocco
Mali v Tunisia
