Ghana’s most celebrated footballer, Abedi ‘Pele’ Ayew is expected to be on the grandstand of the Accra Sports Stadium on Sunday when Ghana’s Black Galaxies take on Nigeria in the first leg match of the qualifying duel for the African Cup of Nations (CHAN).

According to Ghana’s publication, Ghanaweb, Abedi pledged to show up at the Accra Sports Stadium.

He indicated that he has received numerous invitations from various teams that want him to show up at their games, but he has refused to do so.

Pele noted that due to the love he has for the Galaxies and the nation, he will be present at the game to boost the players’ morale and encourage them to give their best to beat Nigeria.

“I will make sure that I am with you at the Accra Sports Stadium first to support you. I have never done that. The invitations are too many, but I always try to avoid them. But this time,

“I’ll be there, be behind you, and see you go through the process,” Abedi Pele was quoted by Ghanaweb as saying.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

The Nigerian Super Eagles B, comprising of home-based players will leave their Ikenne camp for Accra, Ghana on Friday for Sunday’s first-leg qualifying match for the African Nations Championship.

The team is confident of achieving a positive result from the encounter ahead of the return leg in Uyo next week. One of the players, Rabiu Ali, skipper of Kano Pillers is optimistic of the Nigerian team qualifying ahead of regional rivals, Ghana Black Galaxies.

If fielded, Rabiu Ali will possibly be the oldest player to compete in African Nations Cup qualifiers.

He clocked 44 last September and he is not just the oldest player in the Nigeria Premier Football League, he is the longest-serving player having been on the scene for 21 years since the 2003 season.

He is not just the captain of Kano Pillars, Rabiu Ali is regarded as the club’s greatest-ever player.

Though he has been with Kano Pillars since 2009, he was previously with Nasarawa United.

The match with Ghana will not be his first African Nations Championship duel, he was in Stephen Keshi’s squad that placed third in South Africa in 2014.

He scored a brace in a Group A match in Nigeria’s 4-2 demolition of Mozambique a the 2014 edition. He was also remarkable in Nigeria’s comeback defeat of Morocco at the 2014 edition.

At the time, the Atlas Lions of Morocco stunned Nigeria in the 36th, 39th and 41st minutes of a match making the Super Eagles B 3-0 down at halftime.

Nigeria rallied back in the second half to stalemate scores at 3-3 and eventually won 4-3 after extra time. Rabiu Ali scored one of the second-half goals.

Speaking with Sports Village Square in Ikenne on Thursday, the mercurial striker remarked that his age will not inhibit him from hitting the right form when Nigeria takes on Ghana on Sunday.

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 Stand-in Head Coach Daniel Ogunmodede has picked ageless warhorse Rabiu Ali, wing-back Sadiq Ishmael, centre-back Stephen Manyo, midfielders Musa Zayyad and Jide Fatokun, and forwards Anas Yusuf and Sikiru Alimi in an 18-man roster for Sunday’s 8^th African Nations Championship qualifying match against Ghana’s Black Galaxies in Accra.

 The gaffer also picked goalkeeper Henry Ozoemena, defender Victor Collins and forward Abubakar Adamu for the must-win two-leg fixture, with the Galaxies being the reason why Nigeria failed to qualify for the championship on two different occasions in the past, namely 2009 and 2023.

The Super Eagles B, with Ogunmodede and Coaches Fidelis Ilechukwu and Olatunji Baruwa in charge, had staggered training sessions over three weeks from the month of October, before a final training camp commenced at the Remo Stars Sports Institute, Ikenne-Remo three weeks ago.

Sunday’s first leg fixture is scheduled for the Accra Sports Stadium, with kick-off set for 4pm Ghana time (5pm in Nigeria), and some kilometres away, both countries’ U17 girls will be battling for the inaugural WAFU B U17 Cup at the Ghana Centre of Excellence in Prampram.

Over the past 10 months, Nigeria have dominated Ghana at international level, starting with the Super Eagles’ 2-1 defeat of the Black Stars in a friendly match in Marrakech, Morocco – a first win at senior level for Nigeria against the West African rivals in 18 years.

In the summer, Nigeria’s U17 boys edged the Black Satellites 3-2 in the third-place match of the WAFU B U17 Championship staged by Ghana, and in October, the Flying Eagles defeated the Black Satellites 3-1 to successfully retain their WAFU B U20 Championship title in Lome, Togo.

Togolese referee Aklesso Gnama will be in charge of Sunday’s encounter at the Accra Sports Stadium, with compatriots Jonathan Ahonto Koffi, Wassiou Tchamolla Ourotou and Kossi Fabrice Senyo in the roles of assistant 1, assistant 2 and fourth official respectively.

Liberian Ivan Gartor Brown will serve as commissioner while Hugues Alain Adjovi from Benin Republic will be the referee assessor.

The second leg will hold at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Saturday, 28^th December, with the winner on aggregate to pick a ticket to the 8^th African Nations Championship taking place in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, 1^st – 28^th February, 2025.

18 SUPER EAGLES B FOR WAR AGAINST GHANA’S BLACK GALAXIES

Goalkeepers: Henry Ozoemena (Enyimba FC); Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars)

Defenders: Ismail Sadiq (Remo Stars); Waliu Ojetoye (Ikorodu City); Imo Obot (Enyimba FC); Junior Nduka (Remo Stars); Victor Collins (Nasarawa United); Ifeanyi Onyebuchi (Rangers International); Steven Manyo (Rivers United)

Midfielders: Jide Fatokun (Remo Stars); Rabiu Ali (Kano Pillars); Saviour Isaac (Enugu Rangers); Musa Zayyad (El-Kanemi Warriors)

Forwards: Anas Yusuf (Nasarawa United); Adamu Abubakar (Plateau United) Sikiru Alimi (Remo Stars); Emmanuel Ogbole (Kwara United); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes)