Ghana’s Black Galaxies’ head coach Mas-Ud Didi Dramani is confident his wards would repeat what they did over their Nigerian counterparts two years ago and pick the African Nations Championship ticket at the end of the two legged encounter.
Ghana will host Nigeria in the first leg of the qualifying tie on Sunday at the Accra Sports Stadium before the return leg on December 28th in Uyo and Dramani in a chat disclosed that they are condemned to win the CHAN ticket.
Dramani said Ghanaians have put behind missing out of the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations 2025, their first absence in 20 years since Tunisia 2004 and are putting all their energies to ensure they pick the ticket ahead of Nigeria.
To compensate for the AFCON loss, their attention has shifted to their regional rivals, Nigeria with which Ghana has maintained one of the longest football rivalries in Africa.
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Their rivalry dates to 1951 when they officially met for the first time. The two teams will engage in another confrontation on Sunday for a ticket to the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Ghana’s Guardian said Dramani views the encounter with Nigeria as a necessary challenge for his team’s growth, stressing that facing strong opponents is vital for achieving success in football.
“In football, when you want to get to the top, you should be ready to meet the top liners. For me, it was not surprising that we were meeting Nigeria,” he reportedly said.
He further emphasized the significance of the CHAN tournament in showcasing the talent of locally based players and preparing them for greater opportunities, including potential senior national team call-ups.
“The future of this team is just to show domestically what we are made of and to sell out to these young players that they have the capabilities and qualities to also be in the senior national team,” he noted.
As Ghana prepares to face one of the continent’s strongest sides, Dramani remains focused on proving the value of the country’s domestic football and the quality of its local players on the African stage.