Nigeria and Ghana meet in Abuja on Tuesday evening. The kick-off at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium is at 19:00 CET. The match will be officiated by Badara Diatta from Senegal. We take a look at the two teams, the best odds and betting for you.
By the way: You can find our ranking of the top African betting providers in our betting sites comparison section.
It’s getting serious now for the Super Eagles and the Black Stars. After a goalless first leg in Ghana, it’s all to play for in the second leg for the two West African giants. This will decide who will punch the ticket to Qatar.
The 0-0 draw was a disappointing result for hosts Ghana – but thanks to the away goals rule, which has been abolished in European Cup competitions but still applies in WC qualifying, all doors are still open for Otto Addo’s side. This means that a draw with goals would be enough for Ghana, while Nigeria desperately needs a win. The atmosphere between the two teams remains poisoned after Nigerian players complained of unfair behaviour towards them – most notably Napoli centre-forward Viktor Osimhen. According to Osimhen, the Ghanaian bench has also repeatedly asked their players to play hard against the opponent. The background of his statements is clear: The own fans should be mobilised once more and cheered for the final spurt.
What is in Nigeria’s favour?
What speaks for Ghana?
Our Betting Predictions:
The team of coach Eguavoen and his co Emmanuel Amunike is under pressure. Considering the team’s huge potential, Friday’s performance in Kumasi was a major disappointment. There was a brief glimmer of hope when Moroccan referee Redouane Jiyed pointed to the penalty spot fifteen minutes before the end for a handball. However, after consultation with the VAR, the penalty was taken back.
Otherwise, Nigeria stood well defensively and was able to keep Ghana’s attacks at bay. They only allowed two shots on goal from the hosts.
Now Nigeria will have to go into the decisive match with all their offensive power. However, there are still question marks over the hosts’ star strikers Viktor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze, who were unable to train at the weekend.
Otto Addo’s team still has an excellent starting position. A win or a draw with goals (1-1, 2-2, etc.) would already be enough for the Black Stars to qualify for another World Cup finals. In the home match against Nigeria, they had a slight advantage in possession, shots on goal and corners, but Ghana was never really dangerous. In Abuja, however, it will be important for Ghana to score a goal of their own as Nigeria will apply a lot of pressure and rely on a strong attack. But neither Olhene-Gyan nor Jordan Ayew or Abdul Issahaku could really convince, so a change in attack is to be expected. Perhaps Otto Addo will use Daniel Kofi Kyereh this time, who was able to bring a little more momentum into the Ghanaian game in the second half. In any case, Ghana has struggled to score away from home against other top African teams in recent years.
There was little difference between the two sides in the 0-0 draw in Kumasi. Ghana, as hosts, had slightly more possession (56%) and a much higher number of corner kicks. Otherwise, both teams were almost equal. Neither team was able to gain a decisive advantage. Despite the explosive nature of the match, it remained a very fair game with few fouls. There was only one yellow card for each team.
Although Ghana only needs a draw, Nigeria is the clear favourites in this match. The individual class on the Nigerian side is simply too great. In addition, the team has an enthusiastic crowd in Abuja at its back, which will whip its team forward. We are therefore betting on a victory for Nigeria in this match – and with it qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The odds for a home win are currently 2.10. You can find these odds at Interwetten.com, among others.
You can expect a tough battle and significantly more yellow cards this time than in the first leg in Ghana. More than 3.5 cards are quite possible.
As in all other qualifying matches, a large number of goals is not to be expected this time. One goal could already be decisive. So a bet on Under 2.0 can also be worthwhile.
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