The Nigeria vs Ghana African Nations Championship semifinal will take place this Wednesday, January 29, 2014 (12:30 PM Pacific, 20:30 GMT) at the Free State Stadium. This match will be a classic encounter between the solid defense of the Black Stars, and the powerful offense of the Super Eagles. This all-West African semifinal should be a fantastic match, and I dare say that the winner of this semifinal will go on to win the entire tournament.
Nigeria advanced to the semifinal stage by defeating Morocco 4-3 in extra time, in a match that saw the Super Eagles go 3-0 down before the end of the first half. In tremendous fashion and with an incredibly amount of fortitude and heart, the Nigerians were able to come back 3-3 in regulation time, and eventually scored in extra time to take it all 4-3.
Ghana advanced to the semifinal stage in a far less dramatic fashion. Relying on their strong defense, the Black Stars stopped DR Congo from scoring any goals, and were able win thanks to a solitary second half goal scored via a penalty.
Nigeria’s power lies in its effective offense, best in the tournament, which has scored 12 goals in just four matches. Their weak point, however, is their leaky defense, which has allowed 8 goals. On the other hand, Ghana has the best defense in the tournament, allowing just one goal in four matches. Although, the Black Star’s offense has been mostly ineffective, they have scored just four goals in the tournament.
Nigeria vs Ghana Prediction
The Nigeria vs Ghana match will all come down on whether Ghana’s defense can hold off Nigeria’s powerful attack. If Nigeria were to score first, the match is over, Ghana does not have the offensive firepower to come back from a deficit. However, the longer Ghana can hold Nigeria scoreless (which is no easy task), the better chance Ghana has of taking a slim lead, given that Nigeria’s defense is prone to mistakes.
Nigeria should be able to come out with the win. I believe the Super Eagles have an impressive attack that will break through Ghana’s defense. Once Nigeria scores, Ghana will be forced out of their defensive shell, thus allowing the Nigerian attackers even more space on the attack. The Nigeria vs Ghana match will end in a 2-0 win for the Super Eagles, Nigeria will move on to the final and win the tournament.
Nigeria vs Ghana TV Schedule
The match will not be televised in the United States. In Nigeria and Ghana, it will be LIVE on SuperSport 4.
Nigeria vs Ghana Highlights
The Nigeria vs Ghana match highlights will be uploaded in this section.
