WAFU Cup: Eagles to change tactics against Ghana

Super Eagles’ are adopting new strategy as they tackle Black Stars of Ghana in the WAFU Cup of Nations today. Th e Coach Salisu Yusuf-led home-based Eagles must defeat the Black Stars if they are to continue their search for honour in the WAFU competition, hence the decision of the Nigeria team to gon for a kill in this encounter.

Th e clash will hold at the Cape Coast Stadium starting from 7pm Nigeria time. Hosts Ghana are comfortable and already have a ticket into the semi fi nals with six points from their fi rst two matches in the group phase, while the Eagles have only two points and must win to be sure of a place in the last four.

Ghana’s six points have come from wins over Guinea and Mali, who both drew with Nigeria and thus have a point each, but a win for either team (Guinea/ Mali) in their game that will run simultaneously at the Ndoum Stadium will knock the Super Eagles out of the running if they fail to defeat Ghana.

“It is a must-win game; we are certainly aware of that. Defi nitely, we will look at making a few changes because this is one match we must show character and effi ciency at the rear, and middle and the fore. Not only must we avoid defeat; we must win to make progress in the championship.

Th at demands absolute seriousness and diligence and only the best legs will do.” Th e Eagles failed to fl y in both group phase games so far, after showing ability in a 2-0 win over Sierra Leone the day after arriving in Ghana for the tournamentApart from the pressure on the African Nations Championship – bound Super Eagles to achieve victory (Ghana failed to qualify for CHAN after losing to Burkina Faso right in Kumasi after a 2-2 draw in Ouagadougou), and Ghana’s commitment to pacifying home fans for the pinfall suff ered in the hands of Burkina Faso, the 66 –year old rivalry between both nations will make it a ferocious aff air in Cape Coast. In the early days of the rivalry, Nigeria won more matches in the Jalco Cup, but Ghana had the upper hand in the Nkrumah Cup and Zik Cup encounters that followed, both trophies named after major pan-African fi gures Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.

 

Leave a Reply