Nigeria face Ghana in Brazzaville 2015 tie

Nigeria’s U-23 team will battle bitter rivals Ghana in their opening game of the men’s football event of the 2015 All Africa Games in Congo on Wednesday, the same day African champions Super Falcons play Tanzania in their second group game.

The Group B game between Nigeria and Ghana’s men’s teams is billed for the Stade Municipal de Kintélé, Brazzaville. While it is the U-23 team’s first game, it is defending champions Ghana’s second. The Black Meteors were held to a 0-0 draw by Senegal on Sunday.

Nigeria, winners of the football event in 1973, had to wait until Wednesday for their first match, after their first group opponents Egypt withdrew on the eve of the tournament.

Coach Samson Siasia will be without some of his key players for the event. The AAG is not part of the FIFA international calendar, which means clubs need not release players and this rule has hit Nigeria hard.

Among those who will be missing is new Liverpool signing Taiwo Awoniyi, whose brace in a 2-1 victory over Zambia in Lusaka helped Nigeria qualify for Congo, alongside Godwin Saviour and AC Madeira’s Shehi Abdullahi, who were not released by their clubs.

“We are going for gold. What else do you think we are going after? Preparations were not good because clubs refused to release players, but I am very hopeful of a successful outcome in Brazzaville,” Siasia told Yahoo News.

He will be banking on dangerous striker Junior Ajayi and Turkey-based Aminu Umar, to wreak havoc on opposing defences.

Both countries have met at this level four times, with Nigeria winning twice, losing once and held once.

Incidentally, the last time both sides clashed was in a 2011 AAG qualifier. Nigeria won the first leg 3-1 in Benin City, but crashed out after losing the return fixture 2-0 in Kumasi.

Meanwhile, Group A leaders Falcons are hoping to continue their quest to claim the gold medal of the event, with another victory over the Tanzanians. Four goals from striker Desire Oparanozie and another from Chinasa Uchendu helped Falcons to a comfortable 5-1 win over hosts Congo on Sunday.