Management Committee rallies support for Black Stars ahead of Nigeria clash

The Management Committee of the Senior National Team, the Black Stars, has asked the citizenry to go all out and support the team as Ghana battles arch-rivals, Nigeria, in the first leg of a play-off for the Qatar Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2022.

     “Let us bury our differences and resolve to rally behind the Senior National Team as the players would need our prayers to overcome the task ahead,” Mr. Mark Addo, Chairman of the Management Committee, told the media in Kumasi.

     According to him, the players called for the clash were equal to the task, therefore, they deserved the needed motivation and inspiration to make victory certain.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced a 27-man squad to represent the nation for the match, drawing mixed reactions from many football fans who are of varied opinions about the players called up.  

The Stars arrived in Kumasi on Tuesday afternoon for camping ahead of the fixture, slated for the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, in Kumasi, on March 25, and the choice of this venue for the encounter is seen by many as a good omen.

This is against the backdrop of the fact that this venue was responsible for Ghana’s qualification to the World Cup championship on three occasions - 2006, 2010 and 2014.

     Mr. Addo, who is also the GFA Vice-President, said the Black Stars had the ability to overcome their Nigerian counterparts given the necessary support.

     Based on the outcomes of previous encounters between the two combatants, the Stars’ Management Committee was optimistic Ghana could upstage their counterparts in the two-legged affair.

     To many Ghanaian football fans, a victory over Nigeria would atone for the Stars’ recent abysmal performance, which saw them miss out in the 2018 World Cup fiesta, as well as exiting the 2019 and 2021 African Cup of Nations (AFCONS) in the early stages.

     The 27-man squad called up to represent Ghana in the clash includes Goalkeepers: Joseph Wollacott, Richard Ofori, Lawrence Ati Zigi, Abdul Manaf Nurudeen.

Defenders: Dennis Odoi, Andy Yiadom, Gideon Mensah, Dennis Korsah, Montari Kamaheni, Daniel Amartey, Joseph Aidoo, Alexander Djiku and Abdul Mumin.

Midfielders: Iddrisu Baba, Edmund Addo, Mohammed Kudus, Elisha Owusu, Thomas Partey and Daniel Kofi Kyereh.

Wingers: Abdul Issahaku Fatawu, Osman Bukari, Joseph Paintsil, Yaw Yeboah.

Strikers: Felix Afena Gyan, Christopher Antwi Agyei, Jordan Ayew and Kwasi Wriedt.