A lot more than just a qualification ticket is riding on the 2022 World Cup playoffs between the Super Eagles and Ghana…
The banter between Nigeria and Ghana in traditional and social media has been unprecedented since both West African rivals were drawn against each other in a final playoff for the 2022 World Cup.
In less than a week, either Nigeria or Ghana will be knocked out from the World Cup in Qatar in November.
Both countries have prided themselves on their politics, music and movie industries and of recent the debate was even whose Jollof rice was tastier.
It is therefore apt that this age-long football rivalry has now been dubbed ‘The Jollof Derby’.
Ghana played hide and seek over their squad list for the playoffs right up till the matchday week and were only saved the embarrassment of playing their home game outside the country by a last-minute approval of the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi after the original venue of the Cape Coast Sports Stadium was rejected as unsuitable.
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) would have scored a massive goal had their petition for the game to be played in Benin sailed through.
And Nigerian sports minister Sunday Dare then heightened the tension leading up to tomorrow’s first leg of ‘The Jollof Derby’ when he was caught on camera boasting that “we are going to beat the sh*t out of them”.
Beyond all the animated banter and national pride, there is a lot more riding on the two games in Kumasi and Abuja between tomorrow and Tuesday.
There is the financial windfall of at least 12 Million US Dollars (by the current exchange rate is about seven Billion Naira) guaranteed by FIFA for the team who will qualify for the World Cup.
That is outside government funds and sponsorship monies on the back of World Cup qualification.
Also, both the Super Eagles and Black Stars are seeking immediate redemption after they underperformed at the recent AFCON in Cameroon.
Both teams are charting a new course for their country after local coaches were handed the chance to make them great again following the ouster of their expatriate head coaches.
Ghana have won the AFCON four times, but their last conquest was way back in 1982, while Nigeria landed their third AFCON crown in 2013 against most expectations.
For the players, their careers will most certainly be better for it with an appearance at football’s global showpiece event, the World Cup.
Added to all these is that both the leadership of the Ghana Football Federation and the NFF are seeking revalidation.
GFA president Kurt Okraku made his name by transforming Accra-based club Dreams FC into one of the model professional clubs in Ghana.
But his presidency of Ghanaian football has been tainted by one controversy after the other.
The outcome of ‘The Jollof Derby’ could well determine an extension or otherwise of his tenure.
The same could be said of NFF president Amaju Pinnick, who has headed Nigeria football for the past eight years.
He is rumoured to be gunning for a third term despite a rash of failures and setbacks the country’s No 1 sport has suffered under his watch.
Will all be forgiven and forgotten were the Super Eagles to soar above the Black Stars on their way to the 2022 World Cup?
