With their 2-1 victory over the Black Stars on Friday night, the Super Eagles claimed the title of “Jollof Derby” winners.
The game was a rough affair in the early going, with neither side exhibiting much rhythm or fluidity. After 34 minutes of play, Nigeria earned a penalty for a handball inside the area after stepping up their work rate progressively and exerting significant pressure on Ghana. Nigeria retained their 1-0 lead at the interval thanks to a clinical penalty kick by Cyriel Dessers that fooled goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi.
Ghana’s attacking approach showed more purpose and threat as the second half got underway. But when defender Jerome Opoku was given a red card in the 56th minute, their momentum was dashed leaving spectators puzzled as the reason for his dismissal was unclear.
The Ghanaians continued to try to equalize despite losing a player, but their chances were dashed when Ademola Lookman scored Nigeria’s second goal in the 84th minute.
Four minutes into stoppage time, Jordan Ayew calmly converted from the penalty spot to give Ghana a goal in the last seconds of the match. Yet the Super Eagles won 2-1 in the end of the game.
The Ghanaian players deserve praise for their tenacity and perseverance in the face of defeat, as evidenced by their late goal in the last moments of the game.
Due to a late foul by Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ghana managed to score and prevented Nigeria from defeating their rivals with a perfect record.
On Tuesday, March 26th, the Super Eagles will take on Mali in their forthcoming friendly.
On the same day, Ghana and Uganda will play.
(Goal)
