Ghana coach Otto Addo believes the Black Stars are strategically positioned to beat Nigeria to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The four-time African champions are set to take on their archrivals over two legs this month to decide one of Africa’s five representatives for the global showpiece scheduled for November 21-December 18.
Ghana are first to play at home, hosting the Super Eagles at Kumasi’s Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Friday, before Nigeria take their turn to welcome the Black Stars to the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja four days later.
“We’re only a few days away from playing our crucial match against our rivals Nigeria,” Addo, who had been appointed Black Stars coach in an interim capacity for the upcoming double-header, said in an address to Ghanaians on Monday.
“We all expect Ghana to qualify for the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022, but that won’t be easy as we need to do our best to make it to this tournament.
“The players, technical team and the Ghana Football Association are committed to this task. We really want to make ourselves and the nation proud by qualifying for this upcoming World Cup.
“Matches between Ghana and Nigeria are always difficult, but we believe in our players, we believe in our strategies and the unflinching support of Ghanaians as we go into these matches. We are Ghana and we have what it takes to come out victorious.”
Four days to Friday’s big game, Ghana’s squad for the showdown is unknown to the public, with the hold-up generating a lot of discussion.
Ghana Football Association Executive Committee member Samuel Anim Addo recently explained the delay is part of the strategies to outwit the opposition.
“Strategically, we must keep our opponents confused and they are confused and the time that they will need to regroup and organise themselves to know what our strengths are, will be limited,” Anim Addo told Citi TV.
“The players who have been selected know they are travelling and are already preparing for the game.
“The most important thing is that you will get Ghanaians who are going to die for the country.”
Ghana are looking to qualify for the World Cup for the fourth time in history.