Eagles, Black Stars Settle for Draw: International Friendly

Super Eagles player (left) in a tango with Black Stars player yesterday at Vicarage during an international friendly match. The game ended 0-0

Ghana and Nigeria played out a 0-0 scoreline yesterday in a friendly at the Vicarage Road in Watford.

The match gave Black Stars coach Goran Stevanovic a chance to look at some new faces ahead of the 2012 African Nations Cup.

Stevanovic handed Massawudu Alhassan his senior debut at left back as he made six changes to the team that started in Ghana’s previous game, deciding to rest Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari, Samuel Inkoom and Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu while also giving Mohammed Abu and Albert Adomah a rare start.

Both sides headed into the game with contrasting fortunes after the final day of 2012 Nations Cup qualifiers with Ghana earning their spot while Nigeria failed to qualify.

And it was Ghana who dominated the early exchanges with Adomah sending a dipping 20-yard volley over Austine Ejide’s bar after seven minutes.

Prince Tagoe followed up with a drive from the edge of the area straight at goalkeeper Ejide.

It took Nigeria 21 minutes to test Ghana goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey when he came out to gather a shot across the face of goal.

Nigeria, finally fought back as they looked to have put their qualification disappointment behind them and looked more dangerous going forward as Brown Ideye hit a shot that cannoned off the crossbar and Ikechukwu Uche saw his shot blocked by Kwarasey to end the half.

Ghana made a raft of changes at the start of the second half, bringing on Gyan, Muntari and Agyemang-Badu.

With the game slowing down, both sides occasionally pushed for the breakthrough but were left to share the spoils of the game.

The game though, did not match the efforts of the fans as after a first half that suggested goals could be forthcoming after the break, the predictable flurry of substitutions helped lessen the game as a spectacle to the extent that it fizzled out.

The Black Stars continued to dominate and Tagoe head the next opportunity, hitting a right-footed drive from the edge of the area straight at the keeper.

Nigeria gradually started to come into the contest in an attacking sense as the midway point of the half approached and their opponents were nearly the architects of their own downfall when John Mensah and Isaac Vorsah both left a low cross from Ikechukwu Uche, keeper Adam Kwarasey didn’t come and then watched nervously as the ball drifted wide of his left-hand post.

But that was to be the catalyst for a good spell of Nigerian pressure. First Dynamo Kiev striker Ideye Brown hit a 20-yard shot that had Kwarasey beaten only to rebound off the bar and then his forward partner, Real Zaragoza’s Uche, forced the Norwegian-based stopper into a smart stop low to his left.

That was to be the last chance of note before the interval, although both sides continued to be positive and play at a decent tempo.

Ghana made three changes at the start of the second half, including bringing on star striker Asamoah Gyan, but it was their opponents who had the first chance after the break, with Joel Obi firing over from the edge of the area.

Gyan had his first chance to impress in the 52nd minute when Leicester City’s John Pantstil burst forward from right-back and crossed, but the striker, on loan to UAE outfit Al Ain from Sunderland, headed over.

The second half became increasingly scrappy though, as the substitutions continued with the all too predictable effect on proceedings.

However, Obinna Nsofor created an opportunity for himself with 19 minutes remaining when he cut in off the left, easily beating Mensah to open up a decent chance, only to get his finish all wrong and drag the ball harmlessly wide of the near post.

Ghana had another half chance soon after when a poor free-kick from the right was partially headed clear to the on-rushing Anthony Annan, who did well to strike a left-footed drive first time but Ejide was not unduly troubled.

Annan had similar effort from closer range blocked soon after but that was as close as either side got to scoring as the game petered out.

Ghana: Kwarasey; Pantsil, Vorsah, Mensah, Alhassan (Addy 66); Mohammed (Badu 54), Annan; Adomah (Adiyiah 54), Asamoah (Muntari 46), Owusu-Abeyie (Inkoom 46); Tagoe (Gyan 46). Not used: Agyei, Frimpong and Boateng.

Nigeria: Ejide; Ambrose, Yobo, Adeleye, Taye; Musa (K Uche 60), Ogude, Obi (Mikel 70), Nsofor (Obasi 80); Brown (Emenike (74), I Uche (Utaka 86). Not used: Ekpo, Ekigho, Chigozie, Gege and Echiejile.