To qualify for CHAN is our watchword, says Coach Ogunmodede

Daniel Ogunmodede, the Super Eagles stand-in coach, said on Thursday that the big focus of the Super Eagles players and officials ahead of Saturday’s African Nations Championship qualifying game against Ghana’s Black Galaxies is to attain victory, which will send Nigeria to the finals of the competition for the first time since 2018.

Both illustrious regional rivals battled to a scoreless stalemate in Accra on Sunday. The final qualifying fixture is delicately poised ahead of the decider at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Saturday.

“We are doing everything to stay focused by avoiding any distractions. Yes, we got a scoreless draw in the first leg away and now playing at home, but we are not in any way carried away. Our objective was to score an away goal in Accra, but that did not happen.

“On Saturday, we will approach the game like our lives depend on it. Our watchword is getting the win that will qualify us for the African Nations Championship finals.”

The CHAN competition, reserved for footballers in their nation’s domestic leagues, will be held in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda from 1 to 28 February 2025.

Nigeria defended stoutly at the Accra Sports Stadium and relied on counter-attacks but will have to launch onslaughts from the blast of the referee’s whistle at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

Ghana’s failure to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals and the results of previous encounters in the African Nations Championship are indicators that have made Saturday’s match a potentially explosive affair.

After the Black Stars failed to reach the 35th AFCON finals, this Ghanaian team will throw the kitchen sink at their Nigerian opponents to ensure they don’t follow that negative trend.

For Nigeria, Ghana have dominated their African Nations Championship clashes, with the Eagles winning only one of six previous clashes. Three have resulted in scoreless draws. Ghana won 3-2 in Accra in 2008 and 2-0 in Accra in 2022 and claimed eventual victories on penalties in the ones that ended in ties.

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The 0-0 draw in Calabar in 2008 meant Ghana sailed through to the inaugural CHAN finals in Cote d’Ivoire on the strength of their 3-2 win in Accra two weeks earlier. When their semi-final clash in the third instalment of the final tournament in South Africa in 2014 ended 0-0, the Galaxies prevailed 4-1 after a penalty shootout.

Ogunmodede’s charges have earned Nigeria’s best result against Ghana in the African Nations Championship on away ground and look poised to gain victory in Uyo on Saturday.

The Confederation of African Football has selected Moroccan official Hamza El Fariq as the centre referee, while his compatriots Abdessamad Abertoune, Zakaria Bouchtaoui, and Hicham Temsamani will serve as assistant 1, assistant 2 and fourth official, respectively.

Prince Kai Saquee from Sierra Leone will be the commissioner, while Miboti Moise from the Democratic Republic of Congo will be the referee assessor.