Nigeria aim to break Ghana jinx

Nigeria's squad is made up of only foreign-based stars

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have set up camp in the Togolese capital Lome ahead of Sunday's titanic World Cup qualifying clash against the Black Stars of Ghana.

Nigeria's Dutch coach Jo Bonfrere told reporters that 13 of his 18-man squad have arrived in Lome and the rest are expected to join the team by Friday.

"Lome is a much better place for my players to train than Lagos. They find it easier to concentrate here without family friends and the usual army of journalists distracting them," Bonfrere said.

Former African Footballer of the Year Nwankwo Kanu is expected to play

The match is bound to revive old traditional rivalries as both sides are desperate for a win.

It is some 17 years since Nigeria beat Ghana in a competitive encounter, and now there is pressure in the Eagles' camp about the need to beat their smaller but influential West African arch-rivals.

Ghana, on the other hand, recently lost two important World Cup qualifiers to Liberia (1-3) at home, and to Sudan (1-0) in Omdurman: they desperately need victory against Nigeria if their hopes of qualifying for the 2002 World Cup are to be revived.

Eagles' revenge

A victory would be even sweeter if we can accomplish it in Accra

  Augustine Eguavoen, assistant coach Nigeria

The last time that Ghana beat Nigeria was at the African Cup of Nations tournament in Senegal in 1992, when the Black Stars eliminated the Super Eagles with 2-1 victory in the semi-finals.

"It was a painful defeat for us that day because we threw away the lead after dominating most of the match," said Finidi George, who was in the Nigeria squad that year.

"The Ghanaians believe they can always beat Nigeria but it's about time we ended this long run without a win," he added.

It's the present that's important, not the past

  Jo Bonfrere

"The players are well aware of the importance of this tie," said Augustine Eguavoen, current assistant coach of the Super Eagles, who also played in that semi-final game in Senegal.

"As well as being a World Cup qualifier it's a chance for us to exact some revenge on a side that has proven very difficult for us to beat," he continued.

"A victory would be even sweeter if we can accomplish it in Accra," he added.

Caution

But Nigeria's Olympic gold-winning Dutch coach Jo Bonfrere is more cautious.

"I share in their optimism but we must not let the 1992 defeat affect our approach to this game, it's the present that's important not the past," he said. "

"Our squad has more experience than theirs but we can only win if we can match their collective fighting spirit," he added.

Whereas the Nigerian squad is made up exclusively of only foreign-based players, the Ghanaian is the exact opposite, with local coach Jones Attuquayefio settling for an exclusive squad of home-based players only.

Nigeria last defeated Ghana during the African Cup of Nations tournament in 1984, in the Ivory Coast with a 2-1 victory in Bouake.

Two friendlies played between the nations in Lagos in 1993 and 1999 ended goalless on both occasions.

Liberia lead their qualifying group B with nine points from four matches.

Nigeria and Sudan have six points from three games with Ghana placed fourth with just three points.

The Super Eagles Squad:

Goalkeepers: Ike Shorunmu (Besiktas/Tur), Peterside Idah (Tembisa Classic/S Africa)
Defenders: Taribo West (Derby County/Eng), Isaac Okoronkwo (Shakhtar Donetsk/Ukr), Ifeanyi Udeze (POAK Salonica/Gre), Emeka Ifejiagwa (Wolfsburg/Ger), Godwin Okpara (Paris Saint Germain/Fra), Celestine Babayaro (Chelsea/Eng)
Midfielders: Garba Lawal (Roda JC/Ned), Sunday Oliseh (Borussia Dortmund/Ger), Augustine Okocha (Paris Saint Germain/Fra)
Strikers: Benedict Akwuegbu (Grazer AK/Aut), Tijani Babangida (Gencerbirligi/Tur), Victor Agali (Hansa Rostock/Ger), Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal/Eng), Finidi George (Real Mallorca/Spa), Julius Aghahowa (Shakhtar Donetsk/Ukr), Bina Ajuwa (Benfica/Por)