The Super Eagles of Nigeria once again claimed supremacy over their eternal rivals, Ghana, in a pulsating and entertaining semi-final of the Unity Cup.
Brentford’s home ground, the Gtech Community Stadium, was filled to the rafters with Nigerian and Ghanaian fans as though the match was played in Lagos or Accra.
The entertaining spectacle was a game of two halves, but the Super Eagles did the damage early enough in the first half to claim a 2-1 win.
Eric Chelle’s men kept Otto Addo’s “boys” under siege for the entire duration of the first half with relentless waves of attack, brilliant interchange of passes, and creative plays.
Glasgow Rangers’ top striker, Cyriel Dessers, showed why he deserves a place in the team as he put Nigeria ahead with a composed finish in the box.
Remo Stars’ right-back Ismaila Sodiq squared a brilliant ball into the path of the 30-year-old; he controlled the ball with ease before slotting it into the net.
While the Ghanaians were struggling to cope with the pace of the game, the Super Eagles struck again with Semi Ajayi claiming a header from a free kick that bounced off a Ghanaian defender before it rolled into the net.
Niger Tornadoes winger Papa Daniel missed the chance to increase the Super Eagles’ lead moments after the second goal as he fired directly at the goalkeeper from a loose ball on the edge of the box.
However, the introduction of pacy winger Caleb Yirenkyi and Brandon Thomas-Assante changed the course of the game as the Black Stars dominated and controlled proceedings.
After some moments of sustained pressure, Ghana reduced the deficit as Thomas-Assante got to the end of a brilliant run of play to place the ball beyond Nwabali.
The Black Stars put the Super Eagles under immense pressure, but Eric Chelle’s men sat on the lead to claim back-to-back victories over Ghana as they progressed to the final of the Unity Cup, where they will take on Jamaica in a bid to retain the trophy they won in 2004 on the return of the tournament after 21 years of hiatus.
