2022 World Cup playoff tough but we will beat Ghana – Nigeria Football boss

Nigerian Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick has predicted the Super Eagles will beat the Black Stars in the 2022 FIFA World Cup play-offs, although he admits it will be a tough encounter between the two African heavyweights.

The West African rivals will face off in March with the winner of the two-legged match qualifying to the World Cup slated for November in Qatar.

The draw was held on Saturday, a day before Nigeria exited the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations after losing to Tunisia in the last 16. Prior to that, Ghana had been eliminated having finished bottom of their group.

“It’s going to be a tough game, extremely tough game,” he started. “You know Ghana was humiliated out of the Nations Cup, kind of,” Pinnick said after the draw in Doula, Cameroon.

“So, they are going to throw everything in the ring, in ensuring they compensate Ghanaians, their government, their sponsors and their supporters. So, they will do everything.

“But the good news from us is, whatever they are going to do, we are going to do double. For example, if they are going to walk on the treadmill for ten minutes, we will do twenty minutes.

“We are not going to rest; Ghana is a very beautiful team. In life, you have your good day and your bad day. AFCON might be a bad day for them but we are not going to underestimate them, they won the AFCON four times.

“We are staying focused, we will pray and do everything to qualify because, in Nigeria, qualifying is our birthright.”