Nigeria confirm Abuja for WCQ match against Ghana

by Graeme Jackson

Wednesday Feb 09, 2022. 16:00

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced that the return leg of their 2022 World Cup Qualifying Third Round tie against arch rivals Ghana will be played in Abuja on March 27.

At the time of writing, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has yet to announce the date for the first leg.

“Nigeria and Ghana will face off in a pitched battle at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Sunday, 27th March in what is the final leg of a potentially-explosive FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 play-off round,” the NFF said, as quoted by Premium Times.

While Nigeria have settled on March 27, Ghana will pick between March 23 and 24 for the first-leg clash.

“The Nigeria Football Federation on Tuesday confirmed the date of the reverse leg to the Confederation of African Football, with the Ghana Football Association now to confirm whether the first leg inside the Cape Coast Stadium will be on Wednesday, 23rd March or Thursday, 24th March.”

The match on March 27 will be Nigeria’s first competitive fixture in Abuja for eight years.

“The final leg encounter will be the 59th clash at senior level between both West African giants in a chequered 71-year rivalry, and will also be the first game involving the Super Eagles at the country’s premium sporting arena since the Eagles defeated Sudan’s Falcons of Jediane 3-1 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match on 15th October 2014.”

The winners of the Ghana v Nigeria tie will join four other African teams in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in November and December of this year.