SIASIA PLOTS GHANA REVENGE

By Ifeanyi Ibeh

Super Eagles head coach, Samson Siasia, has submitted a list of players which he insists are good enough to beat Ghana in the international friendly match slated for Vicarage Road, England on August 9.

Speaking in Abuja, Siasia said that his team remains the same except for two or three new inclusions to the regular squad, adding that the list will be made public subject to the approval of the technical committee.

“I have submitted a list of players that I think are good enough to beat the Black Stars when we meet in the UK. Nothing will please me more than beating Ghana in revenge of their recent successes over Nigeria’s men’s and women’s teams in the All Africa Games qualifiers

“Ghana has a crack team but we have the players who can undo them in the match at Watford. I hope to use the game to prepare for our must-win African Nations Cup qualifier against Madagascar in Antananarivo. I would like to use the game to try out a few options in the attack and defence before we assemble for the Nations Cup in September

“I know most of their players and I have played against some at the Under-23 and Under-20 levels, so they won’t be strange to me. It will be tough but I cannot lose to Ghana. I hope to win and enhance Nigeria’s position in the FIFA ranking,” he stated.

Ghana has had the better of Nigeria lately, the Black Stars beating the Super Eagles 4-1 in a London friendly back in 2007 before the Dream Team and the Super Falcons fell to teams from Ghana in All Africa Games qualifiers.

The Black Stars have also eliminated the Super Eagles at each of the last two Cup of Nations tournaments in 2008 in Ghana, when they sent Nigeria packing at the quarter final stage 2-1, and in 2010 when an Asamoah Gyan goal ensured a 1-0 semi final victory for the Ghanaians in Angola.

Nigeria's last victory over Ghana arrived back at the 2006 Cup of Nations in Egypt in a game decided in Nigeria's favour courtesy of a thunderous drive from new AC Milan signing Taye Taiwo.