NewStats: 3,261,940 , 8,175,607 topics. Date: Saturday, 31 May 2025 at 07:26 AM 3j3a2y

Eguavoen: Will lightning strike twice in Kumasi?

“Lightning never strikes the same place twice” is a common proverb in Nigeria. That is exactly what Super Eagles coach Austin Eguavoen will be hoping for when he leads his side out against Ghana in the first leg final play-off for a spot at this year’s World Cup in Qatar.

The Eagles will battle their archrivals at the dreaded Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi, in Ghana’s northern region, an arena Eguavoen is quite familiar with, on March 25 before ther reverse fixture in Abuja four days later.

Ghana initially picked the Cape Coast stadium as venue of the game, but CAF rejected the stadium after independence celebration at the stadium left it in a bad state.

On Wednesday, CAF approved the 40,528-capacity Baba Yara Stadium for the venue, with .

Nigeria Football Federation boss Amaju Pinnick, in an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday, after the venue shift, insisting that with a good team, the Eagles will beat Ghana anywhere.

However, Eguavoen still have memories of his first experience at the stadium, where he ended up on the losing side in 2011, courtesy of the away goals rule.

It was the qualifiers for that year’s African Games and Eguavoen was coach of the U-23 side that battled Ghana in the final qualifier for a spot in the football event of the continent’s showpiece sports fiesta.


The first leg in Benin City ended 3-1 in favour of Nigeria.

With high hopes heading into the reverse fixture, Eguavoen and his players travelled to Kumasi for the crucial game at the Baba Yara Stadium.

He had some of the country’s brightest talents: Ekigho Ehiosun, Kingsley Udoh, Obiorah Nwankwo, Terna Suswam, Edet Ibok, Ahmed Musa, Harmony Ikande, Yusuf Olaitan in his squad.

In Ghana, the reception was hostile; the Nigerians were pelted with water bottles during training at the Baba Yara Stadium by the unfriendly hosts. Ghanaian fans taunted the young Nigerian players, and swarmed their bus like bees, in a bid to intimidate them.

Ghana had earlier stopped the national women’s team, Super Falcons, from the race to the football event of the Africa Games.

They yelled and told the visitors they will suffer same fate as their female counterparts.

This was truly a titanic battle in the making, for a place at the African Games.


Then Nigeria High Commissioner to Ghana, Musiliu Obanikoro, assured the team of the country’s and gave them the needed encouragement ahead of the clash.


On match day proper, the Black Meteors, as Ghana’s U-23 side are known, turned Eguavoen’s Dream Team to mere dreamers, winning the tie 2-0, courtesy of goals from Emmanuel Agyeman-Badu in the 11th minute and Richard Mpong in the 70th minute to qualify on the away-goal rule.

There was no doubt that the Nigerian team paid the price for a defence that looked too slow and out of sorts from the early minutes of play.

Misery wasn’t over yet for the coach.

The night after the defeat, Eguavoen was subjected to verbal abuse by some Nigerian fans seething with rage over the team’s defeat at the Sports Hotel, Kumasi.

Some of the aggrieved fans confronted Eguavoen and almost went physical but for the intervention of security operatives who were around the scene.

The furious fans said it was Eguavoen’s defensive formation that caused Nigeria’s loss.


Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi is the Black Stars fortress, where the goals rain down on opponents in torrents.

In October 2013 the Black Stars defeated mighty Egypt 6-1 on their way to qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The result was Ghana’s highest win against Egypt and their second highest in the World Cup qualifying campaign after defeating Lesotho 7-0 in June 2012 in Kumasi.

It was at the same ground, that local giants Asante Kotoko mauled Egyptian club Zamalek 5-1 in a continental club match.

Eleven years after, Eguavoen returns to the same venue with memories he would rather have banished still fresh in his mind.

Will he avenge the defeat or the Ghanaians will be second time lucky?

https://punchng.com/eguavoen-will-lightning-strike-twice-in-kumasi/?amp

‘They poured excreta, juju inside our dressing room’ –Ex-U-23 star Udoh on playing Ghana in Kumasi



U-17 World Cup winner Kingsley Udoh has recounted his experience playing against Ghana at the dreaded Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi during the qualifiers for the 2011 African Games.

Udoh was a member of the U-23 team coached by Austin Eguavoen that took on Ghana for a place at the 2011 African Games and crashed out after the tie ended 3-3 on aggregate.

The first leg in Benin City ended 3-1 in favour of Nigeria but the Black Meteors, as Ghana’s U-23 side are known, won the tie 2-0 to qualify on the away-goal rule.

Eleven years after, Udoh, who won the U-17 World Cup in 2007, said the players had a nightmarish time playing against their archrivals in Kumasi.


The former Heartland centre-back said hostile fans made the players through hell before, during and after the encounter.

“We were not allowed to enter the dressing room,” Udoh told PUNCH Sports Extra.

“They poured excreta and juju inside our dressing room and we couldn’t go in. We changed outside. They destabilised us, Kumasi fans are very harsh and unfriendly and it’s same city coach Austin Eguavoen is going back to.


“It’s not a place you’ll like to play, the forces there are too much but I believe we have players who can withstand the heat there.”


https://punchng.com/they-poured-excreta-juju-inside-our-dressing-room-ex-u-23-star-udoh-on-playing-ghana-in-kumasi/?amp

Super eagles should go to Kumasi



Commit suicide and come alive with victory

If nigeria break my heart this time ehnn, I no go gree chop for one week straight ☹️☹️☹️

Nigeria will win Ghana

We Sha l see !

There's nothing like forces in football...if u prepare well and look better in all fonts u will defeat ur opponent...wat u need is a few share of luck....if juju is so imprortant in soccer...an African nation would have won the world cup

Mamas from Edo should do something about.Its not only Ghana that have Juju.

We will deal with them this time around. Dem no dey fear cultist?

Eguavoen isn't good tactically in matches like this. He's suitable for long streak matches, not two legs or one leg competition

Sey dem dey use JuJu for ball ni?

Ndidi is already injured and ruled out for this ghana clash who will now man super eagles midfield the signs are not looking good for the SE.

Useless Ghanaians that don't have team. They are making noise like shatta wale

robosky02:

‘They poured excreta, juju inside our dressing room’ –Ex-U-23 star Udoh on playing Ghana in Kumasi



U-17 World Cup winner Kingsley Udoh has recounted his experience playing against Ghana at the dreaded Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi during the qualifiers for the 2011 African Games.

Udoh was a member of the U-23 team coached by Austin Eguavoen that took on Ghana for a place at the 2011 African Games and crashed out after the tie ended 3-3 on aggregate.

The first leg in Benin City ended 3-1 in favour of Nigeria but the Black Meteors, as Ghana’s U-23 side are known, won the tie 2-0 to qualify on the away-goal rule.

Eleven years after, Udoh, who won the U-17 World Cup in 2007, said the players had a nightmarish time playing against their archrivals in Kumasi.


The former Heartland centre-back said hostile fans made the players through hell before, during and after the encounter.

“We were not allowed to enter the dressing room,” Udoh told PUNCH Sports Extra.

“They poured excreta and juju inside our dressing room and we couldn’t go in. We changed outside. They destabilised us, Kumasi fans are very harsh and unfriendly and it’s same city coach Austin Eguavoen is going back to.


“It’s not a place you’ll like to play, the forces there are too much but I believe we have players who can withstand the heat there.”


https://punchng.com/they-poured-excreta-juju-inside-our-dressing-room-ex-u-23-star-udoh-on-playing-ghana-in-kumasi/?amp

Eguavon is from edo they are well known in black arts and witchcraft hope he will have solution for this so called notorious ghanian juju in kumaisi?

OGENYI ONAZI THE MIDFIELD GENERAL GO SHOW GHANA PEPPER..

See what that guy is doing in Saudi Arabia

Ghanaians are very hostile to Nigerians thats why I feel weak when I see Nigerians going there, very harsh, they are not our brothers, they are always envious when they see Nigerians in their land progressing they will want to commit suicide

Best of luck to our Super Eagles.

Is onazi back

naijaboy756:
OGENYI ONAZI THE MIDFIELD GENERAL GO SHOW GHANA PEPPER..

See what that guy is doing in Saudi Arabia

Yes it will

NIGERIA TO WIN
Correct score: 3-0

This revelation came from a powerful BABALAWO
So, I am 100% sure.
Sell your properties and bet on it.

Alaefulu:
Is onazi back

very well ooo.. Dribbling them up and down in Saudi..

That guy good

I don’t think Onazi will be considered ahead of Frank Onyeka... well it’s left for the coach to decide.

abeg no make noise coach. If u know u will lose lose in peace

naijaboy756:
OGENYI ONAZI THE MIDFIELD GENERAL GO SHOW GHANA PEPPER..

See what that guy is doing in Saudi Arabia

Issoright

if SE don't thrash Ghana players in Kumasi, they should just allow them get the ticket



there is no debate on this SE should go for winning then winning at home, we no be Ghana mate when it comes to football

Mark this nigeria will are defeat Ghana home and away, they play a very resounding robust African cum European mix futbol.

Truth they left early at Afcon but we all know they ran out of luck and it happens even the best of teams loose sometimes

Sincerely I think Naija have this one already

Nigerians stood a chance with the game in cape coast but now they have no chance in kumasi.. I hope nigerians what we did to egyptians in 2014 world cup play offs. We will hammer nigeria 3-0