Unity Cup: Super Eagles, Black Stars In Explosive Clash in London
Three-time African champions Nigeria and four-time champions Ghana will bring alive the Unity Cup Invitational Tournament in London on Wednesday when both regional rivals clash in the second semi-final of a tournament of immense cultural and sporting relevance. Both teams bring a number of critical elements into the encounter taking place at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium, including a 74-year rivalry in which Ghana have smiled more than Nigeria, but either team has felt like they lost a World War 3 whenever results did not go their way. Until March last year, when they won a friendly match against the Black Stars 2-1 in the Moroccan city of Marrakech, thanks to goals from Cyriel Dessers and Ademola Lookman, the Super Eagles had not beaten their West African foes in 18 years. That was when Taye Taiwo’s shot from a free-kick outside the box condemned the Black Stars to defeat in a group phase encounter in Port Said, at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations. The Black Stars won the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification pitching both teams together, on the away goal rule, and retain the bragging rights of the biggest win in their clashes – a 7-0 spanking of then Red Devils in a Jalco Cup match in Accra on 30th October 1955. Ghana also won the two teams’ only previous clash at Brentford, running away 4-1 victors in a friendly encounter on 6th February 2007. However, the Super Eagles have equally had their day in the sun, such as the 3-0 trashing of the Black Stars in Port Harcourt to earn passage to the 2002 FIFA World Cup finals, and eliminating the Cup holders from the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations. Wednesday’s clash in west London is another opportunity for the Super Eagles to prove their mettle, with Head Coach Eric Chelle having called an interesting blend of home-based talent and boys based overseas. Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali is expected to be in goal, with Semi Ajayi, Felix Agu, Sodiq Ismaila, Igoh Ogbu, Bruno Onyemaechi, Junior Nduka, Ifeanyi Onyebuchi and Waliu Ojetoye available for slots in the defence, and Frank Onyeka, Wilfred Ndidi, Papa Daniel Mustapha, Saviour Isaac and Collins Ogwueze tugging for the midfield shirts. Christantus Uche was yet to arrive in the team’s Doubletree By Hilton Ealing abode as at Tuesday evening. Ahmed Musa, Simon Moses, Kelechi Iheanacho, Nathan Tella, Cyriel Dessers, Samuel Chukwueze, Sikiru Alimi and Adamu Abubakar are available for Coach Eric Chelle in the fore-line, as Tolu Arokodare, who a few days ago clinched Belgium Pro League’s top scorer award, was scheduled to arrive on Tuesday night and might not feature having not trained with the team. NIGERIA, GHANA IN HISTORY 20 0ct 1951 (Jalco Cup): Nigeria 5 Ghana 0 11 Oct 1953 (Jalco Cup): Ghana 1 Nigeria 0 30 Oct 1954 (Jalco Cup): Nigeria 3 Ghana 0 30 Oct 1955 (Jalco Cup): Ghana 7 Nigeria 0 27 Oct 1956 (Jalco Cup): Nigeria 3 Ghana 0 27 Oct 1957 (Jalco Cup): Ghana 3 Nigeria 3 25 Oct 1958 (Jalco Cup): Nigeria 3 Ghana 2 10 Oct 1959 (Olympics Qualifier): Nigeria 3 Ghana 1 26 Oct 1959 (Olympics Qualifier): Ghana 4 Nigeria 1 22 Nov 1959 (Jalco Cup): Ghana 5 Nigeria 2 28 Aug 1960 (WC Qualifier): Ghana 4 Nigeria 1 10 Sep 1960 (WC Qualifier): Nigeria 2 Ghana 2 9 Oct 1960 (Nkrumah Cup): Nigeria 0 Ghana 3 29 Oct 1960 (Zik Cup): Nigeria 1 Ghana 1 8 Apr 1961 (AFCON Qualifier): Nigeria 0 Ghana 0 30 Apr 1961 (AFCON Qualifier): Ghana 2 Nigeria 2 17 Dec 1961 (Friendly): Ghana 5 Nigeria 1 10 Nov 1962 (Friendly): Nigeria 0 Ghana 0 23 Feb 1963 (Nkrumah Cup); Ghana 5 Nigeria 0 30 Oct 1965 (Zik Cup): Nigeria 0 Ghana 4 7 Nov 1965 (Zik Cup): Ghana 3 Nigeria 0 23 Jan 1967 (Zik Cup): Nigeria 2 Ghana 2 12 Feb 1967 (Zik Cup): Ghana 2 Nigeria 0 22 Oct 1967 (Zik Cup): Ghana 2 Nigeria 1 23 Dec 1967 (Zik Cup): Nigeria 2 Ghana 2 10 May 1969 (WC Qualifier): Nigeria 2 Ghana 1 18 May 1969 (WC Qualifier): Ghana 1 Nigeria 1 8 Jan 1973 (All-Africa Games): Nigeria 4 Ghana 2 10 Feb 1973 (WC Qualifier): Nigeria 2 Ghana 3 – abandoned, match awarded 2-0 to Ghana 25 Feb 1973 (WC Qualifier): Ghana 0 Nigeria 0 11 Aug 1974 (Festival): Nigeria 1 Ghana 0 17 Aug 1974 (Festival): Nigeria 0 Ghana 1 24 Aug 1975 (Festival): Ghana 1 Nigeria 2 30 Aug 1975 (Festival): Ghana 3 Nigeria 0 4 Sep 1977 (Ecowas Cup): Nigeria 2 Ghana 1 8 Mar 1978 (AFCON): Ghana 1 Nigeria 1 21 July 1978 (All-Africa Games): Ghana 0 Nigeria 0 1 May 1983 (ECA Anniversary): Ghana 1 Nigeria 0 15 Oct 1983 (Olympics Qualifier): Nigeria 0 Ghana 0 30 Oct 1983 (Olympics Qualifier): Ghana 1 Nigeria 2 5 Mar 1984 (AFCON): Ghana 1 Nigeria 2 27 July 1986 (Friendly): Ghana 2 Nigeria 0 2 Sep 1990 (AFCON Qualifier): Ghana 1 Nigeria 0 13 Apr 1991 (AFCON Qualifier): Nigeria 0 Ghana 0 23 Jan 1992 (AFCON): Ghana 2 Nigeria 1 9 Mar 1994 (Friendly): Nigeria 0 Ghana 0 28 Aug 1999 (Friendly): Nigeria 0 Ghana 0 11 Mar 2001 (WC Qualifier): Ghana 0 Nigeria 0 29 July 2001 (WC Qualifier): Nigeria 3 Ghana 0 3 Feb 2002 (AFCON): Ghana 0 Nigeria 1 15 Dec 2002 (Friendly): Ghana 0 Nigeria 1 30 May 2003 (LG Cup): Nigeria 3 Ghana 1 23 Jan 2006 (AFCON): Ghana 0 Nigeria 1 6 Feb 2007 (Friendly): Ghana 4 Nigeria 1 3 Feb 2008 (AFCON): Ghana 2 Nigeria 1 28 Jan 2010 (AFCON): Ghana 1 Nigeria 0 11 Oct 2011 (Friendly): Ghana 0 Nigeria 0 25 Mar 2022 (WC Qualifier): Ghana 0 Nigeria 0 29 Mar 2022 (WC Qualifier): Nigeria 1 Ghana 1 23 Mar 2024 (Friendly): Ghana 1 Nigeria 2